Breeders’ Bonus Dollars on Offer at Cambridge
The intermediate graded greyhounds are chasing after Breeders’ bonus dollars for their respective breeders in Thursday’s Waikato GRC hosted $8,500 NZRS Graduation final at the Cambridge Raceway. Three 457m heats, held last Thursday, decided the final field.
Pictured: Tianyu following his 25.82s NZRS Graduation Cambridge heat win (pic Waikato GRC).
It was the Glennis Farrell prepared Tianyu who returned the quickest heat time with this Canterbury bred and owned chaser clocking 25.82s when he delivered his pace making win. This son of Dream Collector and Little Dreams has been in solid form since he transferred north and another competitive effort can be expected from him after he hops away from trap three.
Lisa Cole produced the other two heat winners, plus two other finalists. Bigtime Rod completed his heat assignment in 26.07s after he was impeded when he was denied early racing room. It was a bold effort from this son Bekim Bale and Mammy Brown to overcome those early issues after hopped away from the six trap. He will be wearing the green racing vest again in this decider.
Bigtime Leads is a member of the promising Barcia Bale and Night Pearl litter who controlled the pace throughout when he delivered his 26.16s track debut heat win. He’s a likely improver following that outing, especially as he has been allocated the ace trap to jump away from. He is compiling sound looking stats from that trap.
The two Lisa Cole trained Cambridge NZRS Graduation heat winners with handler Georgie Cole Bigtime Leads with Tony and Emma Potts, plus Bigtime Rod (pics Waikato GRC).
Bigtime Forest kicked on soundly when he claimed his 5.75 length heat third placing behind Tianyu. This son of Collision and Pink Sock attended the pace all the way then. He then returned to his home Manawatu track where on Monday he eventually finished fourth in his C2/3 457m event. He was in the lead group when rounding the turn there which is a tactic he must employ here after he exits from the seven trap here.
His kennelmate Sub Eighteen will be loaded away into trap eight on Thursday. His heat effort was solid when he wound up five lengths astern of Tianyu in second. This son of Fernando Bale and Ocotillo does own early pace and he has no option but to use that asset during the early rush for positions here.
Northern trainer Steve Clark has sparingly raced his proven Cambridge 457m chaser Pat Tama lately. This son of Swift Fantasy and Opawa Patty gave the impression that he would have benefited from his heat outing where he was sighted contesting the pace prior to yielding to Bigtime Rod by a quarter length margin. This owner of the field best 25.59s winning 457m time has drawn to make things rather interesting for a long way here from the two trap.
Clark also provides the first reserve with Token Jasper who is a son of Dyna Vikkers and Token Jasper. He settled just in behind the pace setters from where he whacked away for his 2.75 heat third behind Bigtime Leads. He then went onto to endured a traffic impeded Sunday C2/3 Manukau 527m outing.
Ti Amo is a Ben Craik prepared member of the talented Barcia Bale and Katcha Fire litter who pressed on solidly when delivering her half length heat second to Bigtime Leads. She is capable of being able to overcome her poor five trap draw here although she must place herself straight onto the early pace to do so.
Gordon Wilson operates his training base in close proximately to the Drury based Craik kennels. He has been enjoying a fair amount of recent success with his home bred “Jetsun” prefixed named greyhounds. He’ll be looking towards his charge Jetsun Woody to provide him with some bonus breeders’ dollars from this event. This son of Banjo Boy and Jetsun Flame led the initial chase after the pace setting Pat Tama prior to peaking a tad on his gallop when he finished a 3.75 length heat third to Bigtime Rod. His trainer will be placing the blue racing vest on him.
Cambridge NZRS Graduation contenders also includes (from left): Pat Tama; Ti Amo; Jetsun Woody
The quickest of the heat fourth place getters and therefore becoming the second reserve was the Marcie Flipp prepared Our Tyson. This son of Spring Gun and Opawa Gem also had to overcome some early traffic issues prior to him plugging on for his 6.25 length fourth placing to Tianyu.
By Peter Fenemor
