It’s Founders Day At Manukau On Sunday

It’s Founders Day At Manukau On Sunday

Sakichi appears to have Sunday’s $5,000 Founders Day Cup (race 11) at his mercy, judging by the strong recent 457m and 527m wins that the Peter Ferguson mentored greyhound has delivered. This 527m event is part of a meeting that acknowledges the involvement of those in the past who has forged the history behind the Auckland GRC. A number of Sunday’s races are named after previous venues where the Auckland club has raced at.

Pictured: Sakichi who will start as the warm favourite in Sunday’s Founders Day Cup – he’s pictured here with Peter and Wendy Ferguson

Sakichi has effortlessly won his last three races with his last two wins being delivered in convincing meet best times – 25.38s 457m, 30.75s 527m. Those sharp victories came when he exited from the six trap and he’ll hop away from that trap on Sunday as he seeks to maintain his unblemished four-race Manukau 527m race record.

Ferguson has accepted with a back contender in this event with Odnoc Ankie who will be loaded away into trap three here. He is facing a steep class rise for this event after being a last start Cambridge 25.69s C3 457m winner. He was involved in Thursday’s Cambridge abandoned C4/5 457m race which occurred when the lure rolled to a stop just short of the finishing line.

Cameo Syd is a proven Manukau 527m performer and he’s likely to enjoy being boxed away in the eight trap here as he tends to race out in the middle of the track. The Ben Craik trained chaser would have benefited from his recent 527m races after having resumed from a spell, which includes his Sunday 527m fourth when he was involved in a closely contested finish for the minor placings behind the disappearing Sakichi.

Cameo Syd’s litter sister Kiwi Gal is renowned for her early pace as we saw in last Sunday’s C4/5 527m event which is an asset she must use from her trap one draw. She is prepared from the inform Jared Udy and Denise Cottam kennels and her effort for second last Sunday was tidy. After setting the early pace, she dropped back a tad down the back straight from where she finished solidly when winding up a seven-length runner up to Sakichi.

Sean Codlin would have been an extremely frustrated trainer at the Cambridge Raceway on Thursday afternoon when his charge Opawa Viking was crudely denied his certain C4/5 457m victory when the lure grounded to a halt just short on the finish when he had his race rivals fully covered. He definitely deserves a place at the postrace podium following this event after that mishap. He will be sighted wearing the blue racing vest on Sunday.

Emma Potts provides two contenders from her kennels for this feature. Our Rick was another who was involved in Thursday’s Cambridge no race. He shows a railing preference in his races therefore he tends to deliver his best efforts from the inside traps. In saying that, he has previously featured from the wider traps which includes his last start 10.5 length Cambridge C4/5 457m third behind Sakichi which he delivered from the eight trap. He moves in one trap for Sunday’s assignment.

Kennelmate Opawa Delight has been allocated the tricky five trap draw for this feature which says he has no option but to make a quick start. He has contested six previous Manukau 527m races which has yielded him with one 31.04s win.

The Glennis Farrell prepared Opawa Magic completes the drawn field here with Opawa Magic. Her recent racing activities has been spaced, having last contested September and early October 527m races here. Her inside traps stats are sound looking and she must place herself onto the early pace when she exits from the two trap here.

The only reserve is provided from the Shaun O’Neil kennels. Pam Arising is likely to face a tough task in this event if she gains a race start here owing to her current C3 grading. Her latest races has consisted of 318m and 375m sprints.

Sunday’s Founders Day Cup contenders includes (from left): Cameo Syd; Kiwi Gal; Our Rick

The short course speed merchants will contest their $3,000 Founders Day Trophy sprint over the 318m dash (race 9). The field features the return to the Manukau Stadium of the recent Group 1 295m winner and Group 2 305m runner up Buddy Boom. He wasn’t the quickest away in his Dash For Cash final, however, he seized a rails passage from where he finished strongly for his second placing. Going close to his sharp Manukau 318m 18.26s best winning time can see this Jared Udy and Denise Cottam trained sprinter strongly making his presence felt in this dash.

Buddy Boom is a member of the high performing Captain Coutts – La Cigale litter and he’s facing two of his littermates in this feature sprint. The Wayne and Tracey Steele trained Carbon Tiger has quickly raced through the grades and he is making his open class sprint debut following his tidy Sunday 18.48s C4 318m win.

His sister Ashen is generally sighted contesting the early pace in her 318m sprints here and she looms as a stakes contender here for her trainer Bob Bond providing she uses her known early pace at trap rise here.

Buddy Boom’s kennelmate Miss Claude is delivering consistent current sprints, while there’ll be interest in another open grade debut sprinter here in Last Star for his trainer Danny Laing. She held on gamely for her Sunday pace making 18.56s C4 318m win.

The Captain Coutts – La Cigale littermates Buddy Boom (left), Carbon Tiger and Ashen are expected to feature in Sunday’s feature Founders Day Trophy sprint.

By Peter Fenemor