Interesting Friday Hatrick NZRS Novice Field

It’s the lower graded greyhounds who will take the limelight when they contest Friday evening’s $7,500 NZRS Novice final at the Hatrick Raceway. Five 520m heats, held last week has a brought together a field of New Zealand bred C1 graded greyhounds who promises to deliver a competitive final (race 5).

Pictured: The quickest of the five Hatrick NZRS Novice heat runners Big Time Vince (pic Ivan Howe, Wanganui GRC) 
 

The field is an interesting blend of locally and Canterbury bred chasers. It was the Lisa Cole prepared Big Time Vince who quickly regained winning form when he dropped back in class to contest this series who easily clocked the fastest of the heat times via his 30.47s gallop. This son of Barcia Bale and Romberg Lass will load away into trap two for the first time in his career. He won his only race from the one trap.

Kennelmate Big Time Elsa was only having her third career race when she jumped in from the reserves bench to take her place in her heat field as a maiden graded chaser. This daughter of Fernando Bale and Sweet Rubyjane belied her lack of racing experience when she led all the way to record her 30.61s heat win. She will be sighted wearing the red racing vest for the second time in her career after having finished second in her 520m debut race in it.

On the other paw the 30.80s heat winner Bigtime Fred brings vast racing experience into this event. He will be contesting his 117th career race on Friday evening after this son of Kilty Lad and Romberg Lass took control of his heat rivals when turning for home. He then went onto contest a Monday C1 457m Manawatu race which saw him prevailing in 26.42s. He’s required to exit from the tricky five trap here.

Flying Huey had flown when he delivered his prior 26.19s Manawatu C1 457m win from trap eight. Two days later his local trainer Kelly Gommans loaded this son of Barcia Bale and Flying Twist away into the one trap for his heat assignment. It resulted in a bold pace making 30.77s heat win. He also headed back to the Manawatu Raceway on Monday where he contested an NZRS Graduation heat where is finished solidly for his fourth after being hindered during the early stages. He will race from trap six here.

Wanganui NZRS Novice heat winners included (from left); Big Time Elsa; Bigtime Fred; Flying Huey - (pics Ivan Howe, Wanganui GRC)  

Qualifying three greyhounds for the final was the Opawa Racing team, however two of them are scratched owing to Ester and the 30.97s heat winner Opawa Jane coming into season. It makes no difference to the Opawa team’s numbers in this final as they also bred and race both reserves.

Opawa Tai is prepared for them by local trainer Nathan Udy. She was sound in her heat when she led the vain chase home behind the freewheeling Big Time Vince, 7.75 lengths astern of him. Her connections would have been horrified when this noted railing daughter of Barcia Bale and Opawa Amy was allocated the eight trap to hop away from here.

The first reserve Miss Honey has made a real solid start to her career and she will be loaded into the three trap vacated by Ester for her trainers Dave and Jean Fahey. This daughter of Barcia Bale and Opawa Zara had won her first three career races prior to travelling north. She set up the initial pace in her track debut heat here and it took the strength and experience of Bigtime Fred to haul her back in by a 3.25 length margin. She would have benefited from that outing.

Go Punter Go will be sighted exiting from trap four wearing the red, white and blue racing vest for his trainer Robin Wales. This son of Barcia Bale and Albie Punter settled back in his heat from where he was sighted doing his best work at the business end when finished strongly for his track debut 7.5 length heat second to Flying Huey.

Completing the drawn field is the Bill Hodgson trained Rockoneva who set the pace in her heat prior to being claimed by a half-length margin by the scratched Opawa June. This daughter of Buddy Broke and Kiribati Girl then returned here on Tuesday where she suffered from a hindered racing passage going into the first turn in her C1 520m race after she jumped from trap seven. She’ll do likewise on Friday. 

By Peter Fenemor