Handy Monday Manawatu Cup Field
It’s an interesting field of greyhounds who will contest Monday’s $6,500 Outback Trading Co. Manawatu Cup (race 5, meeting 9). Two 457m heats held last Monday decided the final line up with those heat winners being Bigtime Shadow and She’s For Us.
Pictured: Manawatu Cup heat winner Bigtime Shadow with his handler Claire Harding (pic Sue, Palmerston North GRC)
The Lisa Cole prepared Bigtime Shadow will be joined by another two of his kennelmates, along with the second reserve in this feature event decider. They will be looking to emulate the kennels success in last year’s Manawatu Cup final when outsider Bigtime Caleb led home a kennel First 4 result for Cole.
Bigtime Shadow vied for the early heat lead after he jumped from the ace trap which then saw him leading into the big, sweeping bend. From there he maintained a strong gallop to complete his heat assignment in a handy 25.86s. He moves out to the five trap on Monday.
The other Cole runners occupied the minor placings behind the other heat winner She’s For Us. Bigtime Puma settled just in behind the pace from where he kicked on soundly for his three length heat third to her. He must quickly push forward onto the early pace when he exits from trap eight here.
Big Time Rhino is facing his toughest career test in this assignment after he toughed out his 4.5 length heat fourth behind She’s For Us. He is a recent open class graduate who has no option but to place himself straight onto the pace when he hops away from the six trap here. Second reserve Bigtime Brody struck traffic problems after he made a moderate start in the heat that was taken out by She’s For Us.
Local trainer Matt Roberts would have been rapt when he got the call to advise him that his heat first reserve She’s for Us had received a race start from her favoured one trap. She seized on that opportunity to hop straight into the race lead and she was never headed when she scampered to her 26.10s heat win.
She then backed up that effort at Hatrick on Friday evening when she boldly dictated the pace to her rivals when delivering her emphatic 30.29s 520m win. She applied her pace making tactics when jumping from the six trap which is exactly what she must do from trap four here.
Thrilling Amigo is seeking his second feature race victory within days. On Monday he boldly chased home Bigtime Shadow for his 1.5 length heat second. He then returned to his home Cambridge track where on Thursday the 24.96s 457m track record holder strode to his stylish 25.77s victory in the $12,000 NZRS Advanced final. He won that race from the three trap and he will be wearing the same white racing vest in this decider.
Arden Emgrand has come up trumps in the box draw, having been allocated the one trap from where he owns a proven record from for his trainer Angela Turnwald. He settled in the midfield pack in his heat from where he extended during the run home to finish 4.5 lengths astern of Bigtime Shadow.
Manawatu Cup contenders includes (from left): Heat winner She’s For Us with her trainer Matt Roberts (pic Sue, Palmerston North GRC); Thrilling Amigo; Arden Emgrand
His kennelmate Emgrand Park occupies the first possie on the reserves bench. He endured a traffic impeded early heat racing passage and it was only over the later stages when he received a clear racing passage which saw him winding up in fifth in the heat that was won by Bigtime Shadow.
Big League Diva was solid in the manner that she chased after the pace-setting She’s For Us for her conditioners Gary and Sandra Fredrickson. She kicked on stoutly when delivering her three-length second. She wore the black racing vest then and she’ll do likewise on Monday.
Her kennelmate Hey Fernando was really bold when he qualified for this final via his 5.25 length heat fourth to Bigtime Shadow. He had previously been sighted contesting short course sprints and he gamely stuck to his heat task. He won’t object about being required to jump away from trap two here.
