Leading Breeders Clash in Hatrick NZRS Final
Recent NZRS Graduation finals has provided competitive chasing action in fields that have been stacked with talented intermediate graded greyhounds. Friday’s $8,500 Wanganui hosted 520m final is no different following three heats held last Friday.
Pictured: Big Time Harley following his swift 520m NZRS Graduation heat win (pic Wanganui GRC)
The race for the $4,250 in Breeders bonus payments in this final is a straight-out shootout between two strong breeding operations. The Palmerston North-based Lisa and Brendon Cole breeding dynasty provides three finalists, plus the first reserve. On the other side of the breeding coin is the Robin Wales led Opawa Racing team who will be represented by five greyhounds they have bred in this decider.
Big Time Harley ($9 & $2.40 – TAB Final Field) is a member of an up and coming litter and his potential was clearly illustrated by the sizzling 30.04s time he clocked when the Lisa Cole prepared chaser led throughout for his emphatic heat win. This son of My Bro Fabio and Kissing Gwyneth delivered that win from the ace trap – he has to contend with the trickier five trap in the final.
Cole has also qualified Big Time Anton ($23 & $4) who delivered a bold effort just to qualify after he was impeded during the early rush in his heat. After balancing up he was sighted doing his best work at the business end of his heat when finishing strongly for his four-length third to Punters Bolt. This son of Banjo Boy and Chai Latte was then held in midfield traffic during his Monday C3/4 457m back up outing. He’s likely to be looking for early racing luck when he hops away from trap seven.
His litter and kennelmate Big A Time Odette ($7 & $2.05) was solid in chasing after the pace-setting Our Tyson throughout, resulting in her 4.25 length heat second. She has displayed ability as seen by her 30.32s best Hatrick 520m winning time. She will be sighted wearing the blue racing vest on Friday.
Contesting Friday’s NZRS Graduation final will be Big Time Anton; Big Time Odette, while Kissing Gwyneth is the mum of the quickest heat winner Big Time Harley
The Cole kennel also provides the event’s first reserve after Bigtime Puma ($19 & $3.80) whacked away for his 9.25 length heat third behind Our Tyson. The son of Premier Fantasy and Sweet As Bro then suffered from an impeded early racing passage in his Monday Manawatu 410m sprint.
Visiting Canterbury trainers have been the big winners from the box draw with the three greyhounds trained in Crusaders territory being allocated the inside three traps. Included is the Dave and Jean Fahey trained Opawa Slick ($3.90 & $1.35) who will load away into the ace trap following the tidy track debut 2.25 length heat second to Punters Bolt that this son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Jay Jay produced. He is compiling sound looking stats from that desired trap.
Kennelmate Opawa Cutie ($8 & $2.20) boldly stepped up in class to deliver her 11 length heat third behind the freewheeling Big Time Harley. She had previously hung on gamely when this daughter of Barcia Bale and Opawa Stella narrowly won her Addington C1 520m assignment in 30.54s. She will be sighted wearing the white racing vest here.
Slotting in between the two Fahey prepared contenders will be the Robin Wales trained Punters Bolt ($4 & $1.38) who used her known pace when she took control of heat rivals when entering the back straight when delivering her track debut 30.50s heat win. She displays early pace and railing tendencies therefore the two trap draw this daughter of Barcia Bale and Albie Punter receives here is likely to enhance her claims in this event. She also has experienced racing at the elite level as she was a finalist in last month’s 520m NZ St Leger at Group 1 level.
The Marcie Flipp Foxton based kennels provides the remaining two finalists, both of whom are race and were bred by Opawa Racing. Our Tyson ($5.50 & $1.80) appreciated a significant drop back in class after this son of Spring Gun and Opawa Gem contested a C4/5 520m event prior to his heat. He jumped straight into the race lead and he was never challenged when delivering his 30.46s heat win. He must make a quick start from his eight trap draw here.
Kennelmate Go Glow ($13 & $3) gamely led the vain chase after the disappearing Big Time Harley with this daughter of Fabregas and Opawa Stretch arriving home 7.25 lengths astern of the pacemaker. She is likely to have benefited from her outing after having previously contested a January 17 520m heat for the Group 1 Hatrick Classic. She will race from trap six here.
NZRS Graduation heat winners Punters Bolt (left) and Our Tyson, plus the trap one drawn finalist Opawa Slick
Local trainer Lisa Olden has her charge Kongs Out Again ($16 & $3.50), who she bred, reared, owns and trains, occupying the second possie on the reserves bench. This daughter of Kilty Lad and Curious Life returned the quickest of the heat fourth-place finishing times, when after racing handy to the pace, she plugged on when winding up 5.25 lengths behind Punters Bolt.
By Peter Fenemor
