“What a great effort by the old boy – he’s such a racing professional,” said care taker trainer Gerry O’Keefe about the stayer Ring The Bell following his superb effort to claim third place in the Sky Racing Topgun Stayers at the Melbourne based The Meadows track on Saturday.
The promising Dirk Bale and the pacey Cactus Jack received their go directly to the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup semifinals pass cards at the Addington Raceway on Thursday evening, which was also an evening of celebration for the Christchurch GRC.
The powerful stayer Ring The Bell has swept all before him in his adopted country New Zealand, having won 12 of his 14 staying races. He now returns to his country of birth to take on the best Australian stayers in what promises to be an epic encounter in Melbourne.
The fourth and final Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup Prelude (race 9) will be staged at the Addington Raceway on Thursday evening during a special evening of chasing action. Again the first two greyhounds to finish gain an exemption from having to contest the 2 November NZ Cup heats.
Four more greyhounds earned exemptions from the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup heats over the weekend following the running of NZ Cup Preludes Hatrick Raceway and Manukau Stadium.
Opawa Timo and Cosmic Odette are the first two greyhounds to benefit from the Christchurch GRC’s newly instigated feature of introducing preludes as a qualifying path to the $100,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup semi-finals.
The classy stayer Ring The Bell is embarking on a hit and run mission to Melbourne next week. He has been allocated a final field position in the rich Topgun Stayers Invitation at The Meadows track on Saturday week.
It’s $100,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup time again with the series getting underway slightly earlier this year with four NZ Cup Preludes being contested.
Using superb track sense led to a tough victory for Opawa Brad in Thursday’s feature $6,245 Kolorful Kanvas Robinson Rosebowl at the Addington Raceway.
Bring on the Manawatu Cup! The $6,245 Provincial Cup has again attracted an outstanding field as seen by the dazzling lead in 457m race held at the Palmerston North venue last Monday.
The classy stayer Shandell was a true professional canine athlete from her race debut in May 2014 right through to August this year when she concluded her outstanding 82 race career.
It’s a straight out two kennel paw wrestle for Thursday’s running of the time honoured $7,500 Kolorful Kanvas Robinson Rosebowl at the Addington Raceway on Thursday evening. Four greyhounds from the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels will clash with four Craig Roberts prepared chasers.
The 2016/17 club awards season has been occurring around the country with the Waikato, Christchurch and Auckland clubs all recently presenting their annual Greyhound of the Year awards.
Two New Zealand based stayers have been issued with invitations to be considered for final field inclusion for the Topgun Stayers at Group 2 level event on The Meadows track in Melbourne on 28 October.
The running of Sunday’s $32,780 Waterloo Cup was a race all about two contrasting racing styles - sheer early pace verses a power packed finish. Bigtime Paddy produced the early pace, while Cristiane Cyborg provided the rocket like finish.
It was a really rugged afternoon weather-wise during the Waterloo Cup meeting at the Manukau Stadium on Sunday. Just ask the handlers who copped the brunt of a heavy rain squall as they paraded their sprinters for the $8,400 NZRS Sprint final to the 318m traps.
There was a sensation shortly after Friday’s field for the $7,340 NZRS Novice final was released from the Addington 520m traps. Early squeezing from the wider traps saw one of the favoured runners stumbling, then falling.
