Super Addington Support Card Races

It’s a superb undercard that the Christchurch GRC has framed to support the $125,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup and the $35,000 The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint Group 1 finals on Thursday evening.

Pictured: Avenger Bale who won last year’s NZ Cup meeting 732m staying feature - the I Pave Sockburn Cup (pic Dave Robbie)

 

The $15,000 I Pave Sockburn Cup (race 11) is a traditional feature staying event on the New Zealand Cup card. The 732m race has seen some outstanding stayers prevail in it and Thursday’s edition looks like being the same.

 

The field features the first two finishers in last week’s Group 1 $30,000 Accell Therapy Wanganui Distance final over the 755m trip. The Dave and Jean Fahey prepared Opawa Hilary mowed down over the concluding stages the freewheeling Kamada Park from the Angela Turnwald kennels in that decider.

 

This pair of quality stayers enter into a rematch in this event. The are joined by Opawa Hilary’s kennelmate Alotta Talk who stylishly won the recent Group 2 Kingston Cup over the same distance here. He used pace making tactics then and he can make things interesting here by doing likewise.

 

Hot Platter is a kennelmate to Kamada Park who dropped away over the later stages in the Wanganui Distance final. It would be foolhardy to disregard her stake claims here based on that effort. Finishing strongly for fourth in the same race was Know Anxiety for Gary Cleeve. You can expect her to be sighted doing her best work at the business end of this race. Another stayer who is also returning from the Wanganui Distance final is Goldstar Sydney for Steve and Bonnie Evans. She will race from the same trap eight she had in the northern final.

 

  

I Pave Sockburn Cup contenders includes (from left): Opawa Hilary; Kamada Park; Hot Platter

 

The $15,000 Avonhead Tavern Feature (race 10) is basically the New Zealand Cup consolation with the field including both of the New Zealand Cup reserves. Opawa Nat was solid in both of her heat and semi 520m races for the Fahey’s and she holds sound looking claims here. Her kennelmate Rivalries secures the draw advantage here via the one trap. He won his only previous race from that trap.

 

You have to really admire that superb heat and semi efforts that the Ashley Bradshaw prepared Barrell Runner delivered. This bloke is currently a C1 graded chaser who has really stepped up to the plate throughout the series where he belied his class assessment. It was a remarkable effort that he produced to make it onto the NZ Cup bench as the second reserve.

 

Angela Turnwald mentored Diddilee to 520m Group 1 victory on this track earlier this year and he is provided with swooping claims from his eight trap draw here. He was bold in both of his NZ Cup heat and semi races.

 

The Roberts family are seeking success in this event with dad Craig lining up the C2 graded Uthor Bale while son Daniel will load away his proven Addington 520m chaser Egomaniacal into the traps here. Gary Cleeve has a couple of his strong finishing greyhounds in Know State and Know Threat engaged here.  

 

  

Avonhead Tavern Feature contenders includes (from left): Opawa Nat; Barrell Runner; Egomaniacal  

 

The promising Fahey prepared Opawa Toddy endured a traffic impeded NZ Cup semi outing. It’s a case of when he makes into the open class chasing ranks. He can secure a bonus win on the way to that level in the race 3 $7,000 Kaisa Earthworks Ph 0272073323 Restricted Age Feature. Yes, he has displayed railing preference however he certainly can feature from his seven trap draw here.  

 

Others to consider in this event includes Toddy’s kennelmate Go Vegas who holds an open class grading assessment. Consider Goldstar Yankee for Steve & Bonnie Evans from his kind trap one draw while Crème Brulee for Lisa Waeretini owns an abundance of potential and she has drawn nicely in trap two.

 

There’s a handy field of stayers accepted who will contest the race 4 A2C Asphalt 2 Concrete Ph 0800222583 Distance over the 645m trip. Angela Turnwald is slipping down south with a pair of contenders which includes her 38.01s pace making 645m winner Emgrand Park from last week. He can serve up a repeat dose here. His kennel and littermate Emgrand Rose missed in that event when he was making his track debut. He was dual Wentworth Park (Sydney) 720m winner.

 

Mighty Muscle gamely chased home Emgrand Park three lengths astern of him last week for the Fahey’s. His sound 645m record on his home track says he must be respected here, while the same comment can be made for his kennelmate Von Strass. Neptune Allen secures the draw advantage via the one trap here for Craig Roberts, while the podium claims held by the Gary Cleeve trained Classy Witch here certainly cannot be lightly dismissed.

 

A number of the Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint semi-finalists will contest the race 5 Steve Anngow Drapes & Blinds Ph0272719588 Feature 295 sprint. Included is Super Over Drama from the Evan’s kennels. He has to be the omen bet again following yet another super over being required to decide the winner in Sunday’s Black Caps v England Twenty/20 cricket match. This bloke is more than capable of being able to make a strong statement in this dash from his first career trap two draw.

 

The northerner Kiwi Boy will relish racing from his favoured eight trap draw here. He holds swooping claims from out there for his conditioners Jared Udy and Denise Cottam. Down at the other end of the 295m traps will see local trainer Ray Cassy load away his sprinter Lisa’s Boy into the ace trap. He was a Galaxy heat winner who can feature from his kind draw.

 

Goldstar Trooper didn’t enjoy any luck in his Galaxy heat.  The proven Evans prepared Addington 295m sprinter can beat his lousy five trap draw here. Dahteste didn’t receive any Galaxy semi racing luck for Alison Lee – he can snare a stake in this dash.

 

  

Feature NZ Cup night support race contenders includes (from left): Opawa Toddy R3; Classy Witch R4; Super Over Drama R5

 

The Len, Jane, & Penny Hart Memorial Feature (race 7) is an interesting looking C4 520m event. Dyna Varsity is dropping out of the open class chasing ranks for Craig Roberts and he’ll enjoy racing from the one trap here. The Ray Adcock mentored Ringside commands respect in this field. The Auckland Cup runner up has been sparingly raced lately, however, a competitive 520m race can be expected from this bloke here.

 

The Fahey’s prepare Spring Falcon and he brings in a smart 29.99s best winning 520m time, while Gem also for the Fahey’s and the Evans trained  Famous Lee both own strength at the business end of their 520m races and both are likely to be sighted finishing solidly here, while a similar comment can be made for Know Betrayal for Gary Cleeve.

 

Must Be Rusty doesn’t win races out of turn for his conditioner John McInerney. He is presented with sound claims in the race 8 Springston Hotel C3 520m feature from the ace trap. Know Denying is returning here after delivering competitive recent Forbury Park 545m races for Cleeve – expect similar again here in this event.

 

Robin Wales has a couple of handy types engaged here with Our Jolene and Our Anna representing his locally-based kennels. Orina Allen will race for Craig Roberts here while the Calum Weir trained Ohana Lad is presented with swooping claims from his eight trap draw here.

 

The open class 295m sprinters wraps up the meeting in their $10,000 Gerrard’s Horse & Hounds Free For All in what is the Galaxy Sprint consolation. Versailles was sound in both his Galaxy Sprints and can feature in this dash for his trainer Jason Dunn. Also consider his kennelmate Colbert here. Securing the draw advantage here via the one trap is the Allan Joyce prepared Jinja Ellie. She can feature from her tidy draw.

 

It’s a case if the northern Udy and Cottam trained Blitz ‘Em Rene jumps smartly from her tricky five rap draw. If she uses her known early pace, then she’s capable of leading her rivals all the way here. Ring Crown has compiled sound looking inside trap stats and drawing the two trap here can assist the Malcolm Grant trained Ring Crown while the stakes claims held by his kennelmate Hear This cannot be lightly dismissed.

 

Adding to a very competitive looking field are the two outside drawn contenders. Beck Eleven can deliver a competitive 295m dash here for Waretini, while the McInerney prepared Sozin’s Empire won’t object about his eight trap draw. He won both of his previous races when sighted wearing the pink racing vest.

  

  

Feature NZ Cup night support race contenders includes (from left): Ringside R7; Must Be Rusty R8; Blitz ‘Em Rene R12

 

Pawnote: There is a $20,000 terminating Pick6 held on races 7-12 during the NZ Cup meeting. That means the entire $20,000 on offer must be won on the night.