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The Whaler was back racing after an injury that should have ended and virtually did end his career. Forget the available assistant coach’s role at the Dockers because it has been filled. After the magic that Pete and Helen Sayer worked, Coach Connolly should be out at their Oakford establishment signing them up. The Whaler was GORN! On his best day prior to the horrific injury it appeared he had the ability of a Labrador on three legs, or at least he wished he did. However, the Sayers knew the Whaler possessed something that no one else new. Three half decent legs. Everyone else just thought he had three half legs. Pete and Helen were extremely generous in persevering with him for eight months, nursing him back to health for the Freo Dockers. There were times along the grueling road that the Whaler was finished and then the Whaler wasn’t finished. It was a toss of the coin if he was going to get back. But he did make it back and to the enjoyment of all concerned he had his first run last week. He ran a magnificent second placing when he was in more trouble than an Eagle in a nightclub early before he took off like Quentin Lynch, before he got out of the ute, to chase down the leader, Warnie. Sure he fell agonizingly short by about 15 lengths but let me tell you, if the race contained another lap and Warnie had a heart attack then the Whaler might nearly have gone one better. Then came the big night. The Whaler pulled up well after last week’s hit out. He was fighting fit and ready to go. The box draw came out on Tuesday and the next part of the project fell into place as he had been granted the coveted one box. We looked through the field and assessed the form. Half a dozen scratchings and the Whaler would be right amongst it. The Foreman, Glen Price, had taken a shine to the Whaler and he’s become a favourite. He sat down and did the form on the race and after looking at the tapes he said, “He’s a certainty. Have a fiddy on the Widdy.” As Glen led him down the straight to the boxes, there was the Whaler Weil, “Whaler Whaler Whaler” coming from the sea of purple in the record crowd, if stats began being recorded last night. All was in readiness. This fairy tale was about to be complete. The lids opened and the Whaler shot out of the boxes like a snail. He found his feet, which was a fair effort in itself given I thought he didn’t have any, and set off from the rear of the field. If he was going to make a race of it he had to take the shortest way home which is along the fence. He stayed that close to the paint he is now known as Whaler the Railer. Around the first bend he managed to sneak up underneath half the pack and get into about fifth. Down the back straight he was going past them like they were standing still, like an Eagle on the MCG. He was going to need some assistance as the traffic in front of him was chaotic heading for the final bend. He couldn’t get through as there were dogs everywhere. Its times like these you wish dogs had horns. Then it was as if Moses was trackside and had taken the Foreman’s tip. The dogs parted like the red sea. But this time it was the sea of dogs and it was the red that was let through. Now I don’t want to say Kelly O’Donnell was jumping with excitement and kicking the Whaler home but I’m tipping he’ll land an “Oh what a feeling” Toyota sponsorship in the very near future. Dogs just scrambled to get out of the Whaler’s path as he drew almost level entering the home straight. They must have been Mitchell Whites and thought they heard the footsteps of Troy Cook thundering behind them. Anyhow the Whaler hit the front half way down the straight and then the challengers came. But like Leaping Leo Barry on grand final day he turned their lights out and pulled away to score an excitement filled and miraculous debut Docker win. This dog is unbelievable. Pete and Helen have worked magic getting this three half legged four year old, 21 start veteran back to the track and they’ve performed miracles getting him over the line. If Shaun McManus takes up residence in a kennel at the Sayer’s training establishment then he’s still got the best part of six years in him. The Whaler now takes his place in the Dockers hall of fame. But don’t think he’s going out while he’s on top. You thought the Diva’s three Melbourne Cups were something else! When the Whaler’s finished and you saw what the Widd did, you will be stunned and going “Hail the Whale.”
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It’s happened. The impossible, the unthinkable, the undoable, the unwhalerable! The big brindle Whale has turned the dream into reality. Last night at Cannington the Docker’s hound, Whaler Widd, completed an incredible come back to racing by belting his rivals coming from last to get up and win the eleventh race on the card. He left his rivals devastated and distant and put them all on the path for a change of career, possibly and more so probably, in Korea.