Friday, January 17, 2020
First time on the track proved to be no drawback for Victorian greyhound Go Commando when he tackled the JB Irrigation Stake (512 metres) at Thursday’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway.

Owned and trained at Carnegie by Peter Knott, also at the Mount Gambier track for the first time, Go Commando settled in third spot down the back after only a fair start, taking the lead turning for home and then holding out Coco Spectre to win by 1½ lengths in 30.37 seconds.
The win was a real family affair with Knott, a painter and decorator by trade, accompanied by his son Cameron, a paramedic who enjoyed what would have been a considerably less stressful day off, along with Sue and Elley.
Also bred by Knott, Go Commando is by the former outstanding greyhound Bombastic Shiraz, who won 18 races for $355,000 in stakemoney and, in fact, ended his 35-start career with back-to-back Group 1 wins at Sandown Park and The Meadows in late 2003.
A rising four-year-old, Go Commando is out of Especially (Brett Lee x Special Sign), owned and also trained by Knott for much of her 73-start career which saw her win 20 races and close to $90,000 in stakemoney.

Especially now has a second litter, by Primo Uno, just starting to race, with Especially Eager, trained by Cameron Knott, running third at her first start on Thursday behind Rough Pearl in the Williams Crane Hire Maiden Stake (400 m).
Go Commando has raced on 65 occasions for 10 wins and close to $100,000 in stakemoney, Peter Knott describing the 35 kilograms black dog’s win in the 2018 Victorian Great Chase as the one of the highlights of an involvement that spans more than 40 years.
“Winning the $47,000-to-the-winner Group 2 TAB Great Chase (525 m) at The Meadows in 30.15 seconds was certainly a great thrill,” he said.
“He went into the final after gaining a run from box seven as a reserve and starting at double-figure odds. And we couldn’t believe our luck when he jumped straight to the front and led all the way.
“In more recent times Go Commando has been hampered by a few injury issues, but for all that he continues to give us great enjoyment having won at Sandown Park earlier this month prior to today’s win at Tara Raceway.”