TOM Tzouvelis should have known while walking to the boxes with his four Group 1 Garrards Gold Cup finalists at Albion Park early in February he had the toughest of tasks.

His kennel was represented by Scintillate, Sorority, Pursurer and Sanisha all of them out of fine producer Sherbini, two by Konomi the other pair by Superior Panama.

Tom was well aware of the looming presence in the Cup of the Sandro Bechini-owned and Tony Zammit-trained Valpolicella (Shima Shine-Saldana).

But, it was not the fact that Valpolicella is one of the best stayers in the land and came into the Cup final the favourite.

Valpolicella, you see, traces right back in her pedigree to an Irish import called Violet Ruby (Brilliant Chimes-Odd Bloom), her sixth mother, would not be lost on Tom.

Tzouvelis was a youngster in greyhound racing when in 1998 he prepared Western Marshal to win the Dapto Classic. Western Marshal was a son of Eureka Man-Ruby West and Ruby West was from a West Cape-Violet Ruby litter.

Violet Ruby was sourced from Ireland by Jim Riley and Irishman based in Brisbane. She came to the Alf Shorter kennel. Alf died some years ago, but his brother Col is still involved in the industry today.

"We got Violet Ruby, Pleasure Beam and Woodland Citizen from Ireland," said Col. "Violet Ruby was an absolute machine and we were setting her for the Lawnton Cup but she split webbing.

"It was decided to put her to stud.

"Pleasure Beam proved a very good bitch.

"But, we were not going to put Woodland Citizen into work, rather go straight to stud. However, we kept him fit and he really started to show something.

"He was getting set for the Gold Coast Cup and at his first look at Parklands he trialled the track record, breaking the "world record" held by Bogenfel.

"Woodland Citizen crashed into a catching pen at home and cracked a shoulder so he went to stud."

Col and Alf put Violet Ruby to Brother Fox and West Cape. From the West Cape litter came Ruby West and she proved a broodbitch goldmine. To Pretty Fearless she became the mother of Night Train the winner of the Lord Mayors Cup, second in the Mount Isa Cup, third in the Eric Thomson Maiden and a finalist in the Qld Derby, Ipswich Cup and state final of the National Sprint.

To Pretty Fearless' son Eureka Man she produced Tom Tzouvelis' star Western Marshal who downed Golden Clover and No Nads to win the Dapto Classic.

Violet Ruby's Brother Fox mating produced Summer Story and she was a finalist in the Capalaba Straight Track Classic. At stud, Summer Story went to Your Attention (by Hopeful Supreme) It produced Summer Blitz and she would win the Richmond Oaks.

Beenleigh-based Gary Constable bought Summer Blitz from Derby winner Lord Tegimi's owner Gary Cotterill.

"Gary was moving house and wanted to sell, so I bought Summer Blitz from him after she won early in her career at Parklands. And not for very much."

Summer Story's Your Attention litter also included Sleepy Saint who won the Gold Coast Cup, Lord Mayors Cup and was a finalist in the Capalaba Straight Track Classic.

Gary Constable bred Banker's Blitz (3rd dam of Valpolicella) a daughter of Just The Best.

"She was very, very good winning 15 races and she had a brother called Zephyr Zeal won was Group placed in New Zealand," said Gary. "At the time I was working closely with both Eric Easton and Nev Robson.

"The choice of sires was a bit limited at the time."

Bankers Blitz went to the US import Gable Lafourche and the litter included All Fired Up.

"Wayne Thompson whelped the litter and he kept All Fired Up who did a wrist at break-in but still won a race at Capalaba."

Wayne went looking for pace in All Fired Up's first litter and put her to Knocka Norris and got a couple of "rockets" named Zinzan Brooke and Judicial Man both of them star one-turn track dogs in Victoria, as well as Mick Byrne Mem winner Back To Business.

Zinzan Brooke got his chance at stud and has produced some smart gallopers.

When it came to All Fired Up's next mating, along came Sandro Bechini to help out.

"Wayne was looking to get strength into the line and it just happened I had a straw for Heston Bale," said Sandro.

It had been originally planned to use Bekim Bale, the litter brother to Heston Bale. But, Heston Bale got the nod and Sandro got a couple of bitches, among them Saldana.

Saldana eventually headed to South Australia to race for Judy Hurley and won the Bay Road Queen Stayers Cup and was a finalist in the Easter Cup at Angle Park.

Sandro had to breed with her. Her first litter to Aston Dee Bee, in a bid to recreate Zinzan Brooke and Judicial Man, were handy.

Then Sandro put his thinking cap on and came up with Shima Shine as her next mating.

And along came Valpolicella.

"I trusted the fact we could get three crosses of Gold Rush Bale in the mating with success," he said.

Gary Constable is well aware Valpolicella is the top stayer in the country.

"My mate Nev Tonks keeps ringing me every time she wins another Group race," said Gary. "You should have kept that line, says Nev."

While Valpolicella is the standout, it has always been a damline able to toss up stars. They include such names as Bounding, Ginger's Me Mum (finalist G2 Ips Auction), Dashing Man (Dillon Memorial), Coach Little (3rd G2 Ips Auction), Georgee Go Wing (Townsville Young Guns and Derby) etc.

Sandro Bechini has repeated the Shima Shine-Saldana mating and Shima Shine's part-owner Dave Gleeson has bought a couple of the pups already.

He already has plans to put Valpolicella to Bernardo when she retires.

The Shorter boys, way back in the mid 1990s, were living the dream of greyhound racing and the Irish experiment was just that, an expensive experiment.

But, almost 30 years later that experiment is still reaping rewards ...and how. Tom Tzouvelis will attest to that.