Competitive Hatrick Group 1 520m Heats

The first Group 1 event for the New Year gets underway at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday evening where four 520m heats will decide the finalists for the $30,000 Kernow Construction Classic January 24 final.

Pictured: The now-retired Nature’s Gent was last year’s Hatrick Classic winner

 

It’s an evening of Hatrick heat racing as the Kiwi bred short course speed merchants will also contest three 305m heats for their NZRS Sprint final with the $8,500 final also being contested the following Friday.

 

Here’s a look at the Kernow Construction Classic heat fields, along with their respective TAB Futures and Top 3 quotes.

 

Kernow Construction Classic heat 1 – race 6

1 Oster Bale $7.50 $2.50: Making a mistake at the jump ended his claims in last Thursday’s real hot Addington 520m C5 event. Forgive him for that as this recent stylish 545m Group 2 winner certainly can feature from his first career trap one draw here.

 

2 Bigtime Rod $14 & $4.20: He was a Group 1 520m runner up here last season who was sound when delivering his Friday 4.5 length C4/5 520m second. He owns the field best 29.91s winning 520m time here.

  

3 Max Dancer $26 & $7.50: She’s facing a steep rise in class for this assignment, however, she was stunning in the manner that she flew through her Addington 520m C3 assignment last Thursday in a rather swift 29.94s.

 

4 Hey Fernando $26 & $7.50: This fella has the ability to contest the early pace which is a tactic that he must adopt from trap rise. He suffered from a traffic impeded racing passage when contesting last Friday’s C4/5 520m event.

 

5 Ask King Jeff $31 & $8.50: Strength at the business end of his 520m races is this bloke’s biggest asset. His qualifying claim will be decided on where he positions himself when he heads into the first turn here.

 

6 Bigtime Levi $31 & $8.50: This fella is the ultimate professional racing greyhound – his $168,759 in career earnings confirms that. He isn’t likely to be fazed by his draw here and he is expected to be sighted delivering his normal strong finish here.

 

7 Dyna Varsity $31 & $8.50: He has been freshened since his December 27 C3/4 Addington 520m fourth. He’s a former open class graded chaser, however his three previous 520m misses at this venue is a concern.

 

8 Pam Arising $501 & $41: This girl is facing a real daunting task in this field being just a C2 graded chaser. Her draw here has made her job even tougher.

 

   

Kernow Construction Classic heat 1 contenders includes (from left): Oster Bale; Hey Fernando; Bigtime Levi    

 

Kernow Construction Classic heat 2 – race 7

1 Big Time Maple $18 & $5.50: Overlook her Friday C4/5 520m miss here when she was denied early racing room and ran into traffic problems. She has won both of her previous races from this trap.

  

2 Emgrand Park $12 & $3.80: This bloke is race fit and match hardened for this task after having boldly contested recent 660m and 650m races against quality staying opposition. He is an effective chaser over 520m and his draw is likely to aid his advancement claims here.

   

3 Our Tyson $51 & $12: He raced handy to the pace and he proved too strong during the run home when he claimed his Friday C2/3 30.37s 520m win. This field represents a decent rise in class for him here.

  

4 Sailor Allen $51 & $12: He arrives here for his track debut outing holding a C4 grading which was the class he raced in when he delivered his Thursday Addington six length 520m third. He must place himself straight onto the early pace here.

 

5 She’s For Us $31 & $8.50: Her ultimate fate will be decided by the start she makes from this tricky draw. She has been known to ping away smartly, then head down onto the rail. She must and she can clear her inside rivals in doing so.

 

6 Spring Falcon $6 & $2.20: He has been making better race starts lately and doing likewise here will definitely aid his claims. December’s Group 1 520m third place getter here is in solid current form as seen by his recent Group 2 545m second placing, then his stylish 29.98s Thursday Addington 520m win in a hot C5 field.

  

7 Bigtime Bruno $51 & $12: He is making his return to this venue after his recent C4 457m Manawatu races where he was caught in midfield traffic. He has no option but to hop straight onto the early pace here.

 

8 Big Time Seth $31 & $8.50: He’s returning here following his traffic impeded Cambridge Group 2 457m outing. His prior 25.74s pace making 457m heat win was solid and it is those same on the pace tactics that he must adopt here.

 

  

Kernow Construction Classic heat 2 contenders includes (from left): Emgrand Park; She’s For Us; Spring Falcon

 

Kernow Construction Classic heat 3 – race 8

1 Thrilling Talk $5 & $2: He’s a Group 1 520m winning chaser around this circuit who has drawn ideally for his racing style in this trap. He was last sighted when winning a November 29 Group 1 520m heat here in 30.07s, however he was an injury scratching from the final. He demands respect here.

 

2 Opawa Viking $51 & $12: He is venturing south after his solid recent Cambridge 457m efforts. He was nailed by a narrow margin in the recent Waikato Cup final, then was he was run down late last Thursday over 457m. He is capable of contesting the pace here.

  

3 Bigtime Lilah $61 & $15: The scenario is very simple for this girl – she must jump straight onto the pace and dictate terms to her rivals here as she’s very much a win or bust chaser. She hasn’t been doing that lately, hence her downgrading back into the C3 chasing ranks.

 

4 Big Time Ocean $61 & $15: She must rediscover her known sharp early pace in this heat. She hasn’t been using that asset since her bold December 6 Group 1 520m final where she set the pace prior to being caught over the later stages when finishing second.

 

5 Bigtime Brett $51 & $12: He was a January 2 457m Group 2 finalist, who has contested C4 Manawatu 457m races since then which includes his 3.5 length Monday second to a handy type. He receives a rough draw here.

   

6 Bigtime Tank $61 & $15: This guy has recently been relegated out of the open class chasing ranks following his latest C4/5 520m fourths around here. He is a determined chaser who will dig in deep, although his draw here is likely to work against him.

  

7 Dig Dig Dig $201 & $26: Contesting recent 318m and 3785m sprints isn’t this guy’s forte. He’s C4 graded who hasn’t won around this circuit. In saying that he does own strength at the business end of his races.

 

8 Uthor Bale $16 & $4.80: He is returning here as a minor placegetter in both of his previous 520m races here. He was held wide from this trap when going into the first turn in Thursday’s strong C5 Addington 520m field. He does own a power-packed finish which we saw him delivering when claiming his previous Group 2 545m third placing. 

 

  

Kernow Construction Classic heat 3 contenders includes (from left): Thrilling Talk; Opawa Viking; Big Time Ocean

 

Kernow Construction Classic heat 4 – race 9

1 Melita Vella $16 & $4.80: This girl owns a slick set of paws as was seen when she delivered his quick December 24 25.37s Cambridge Group 2 457m heat win. She didn’t receive any racing favours in the final, although she was an okay 26.81s Monday Manawatu 457m winner on a dead track.

  

2 Thrilling Vice $14 & $4.20: He’s a more than capable chaser at this level who has been sparingly raced lately. It would pay to overlook his latest misses as his draw here certainly can aid his advancement claims from this heat.

  

3 Silent Dismissal $51 & $12: He’s a C2 assessed chaser who got tangled up in midfield traffic during his Friday C2 520m outing. He owns raw ability however his lack of racing experience is a concern in this lineup.

 

4 Big Time Izzy $7.50 $2.50: This girl has really blossomed lately as seen by her stepping up to the mark when claiming her bold pair of recent 30.39s and 30.15s Friday C4/5 520m wins. Those efforts say she must be respected in this series.

 

5 Go Glow $101 & $18: This C4 ranked chaser found herself jammed up in early traffic and she stayed back in her last start C4/5 520m outing here. She has to contend with a rough draw for this assignment.

   

6 Ma Cherie $501 & $41: She has been contesting recent C1/2 318m and 375m sprints and missing in those sees her dropping back into the C1 ranks. She couldn’t have picked a tougher task to make her track debut outing in.

 

7 Bigtime Shadow $31 & $8.50: He owns early pace which is an asset that this holder of a 30.05s best winning 520m time must use from out there. His last start Cambridge C4/5 457m second was a solid effort.

 

8 Dyna Dave $16 & $4.80: This fella is a perennial Group 1 finalist (and place getter) who is still searching for his first elite race title. This winner of an outstanding $243,235 in stakes advancement claims hinges on the run he gets into the first turn here. His known track sense is likely to assist him here.     

 

  

Kernow Construction Classic heat 4 contenders includes (from left): Melita Vella; Go Glow; Dyna Dave

 

By Peter Fenemor