They are chasing after Breeders bonus dollars in the deep south on Tuesday afternoon which sees the Southland Club hosting their $8.000 NZRS Graduation final over 457m.
Pic: Sader Nation delivering his Ascot Park NZRS Graduation heat win (pic Dave Robbie)
Three heats held a couple of weeks ago, decided the final field of intermediate graded Kiwi bred chasers who will contest this event. Here’s a look at the race nine field.
Gary Cleeve provides two of his homebred greyhounds for this event, plus he also has the first reserve. Sader Nation stylishly slipped around the outer to annex his strong heat win. This son of Bekim Bale and Delusionist clocked the heat best time, stopping the clock in 26.35s. He isn’t the quickest into stride as was seen when missing the start which saw him striking traffic problems at Addington over 520m on Thursday. Therefore drawing trap one here isn’t exactly ideal for him unless he breaks away quickly.
Hard Questions didn’t have to answer any questions whatsoever when this son of Talks Cheap and Hard Questions charged home from out of the midfield pack on the turn to nail his strong 26.48s heat win. He backed up that effort with his sound Addington 520m third on Thursday which was in a competitive C3 field. He is more than capable of being able to overcome his poor five trap draw here.
Know Sweat in the first reserve for Cleeve. This daughter of Know Excitement and Hard Habits pressed on stoutly for her four-length heat third behind Nozzno Fear. She has placed in both of her previous 457m races on this track. She was also sighted at Addington on Thursday afternoon where she delivered a 520m fourth behind some proven chasers.
The other heat winner was Nozzno Fear from the Ashley Bradshaw kennels. She produced this litter brother to Hard Questions to get underway smartly to control the pace which led to his 26.45s heat win. He must adopt the same racing tactics when hopping away from the eight trap on Tuesday. He was also active at Adding6on on Thursday when he raced handy to the pace for his 520m third placing.
Hard Questions (left) and Nozzno Fear delivering their Southland NZRS Graduation heat wins (pics Dave Robbie)
Dave and Jean Fahey provides two finalists who are both from the Opawa Racing bred and owned Fabregas and Opawa Eye litter. Opawa Denise was bold when she settled into the slipstream of Nozzno Fear from where she kicked on stoutly when winding up a three-quarter length second. She was also sighted at Addington on Thursday and she also delivered a sound 520m third placing.
Opawa Timo has been at the races twice since he delivered his 3.2 length heat third to Hard Questions. He wasn’t the quickest into stride then, although he quickly improved his field position when racing around the turn. He then contested the final of the Group 2 NZ St Leger, which he then backed up that with an impeded Addington 520m outing on Thursday.
John McInerney provides the balance of the field here. Botany Allan is a son of El Grand Senor and Kazz Razz who set up the initial pace in his heat. It required Sader Nation to cut him back which he did by a 1.75 length margin. He has missed in two Addington 520m events since then, although lodged in between those races was his bold Forbury Park 310m second on Tuesday.
Trendy Blake was a heat runner up which came when he finished solidly for his three-length runner-up position behind Hard Questions. He was then unplaced the following Thursday over 295m at Addington, then he finished just in behind the placegetters over 545m in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Avalanch City has been allocated the two trap to step away from here. His heat effort saw this son of Sergio and Homebush Iris settle just behind the pace from where he pressed on during the run home to claim his three-length heat third to Sader Nation. He was then held in midfield traffic when next up at Forbury Park over 310m from where he went on to deliver a sound Addington 520m second placing.
Team McInerney also provides the second reserve with Shift The Blame, who is a son of Trendy Leigh and Joyville. He was the quickest of the heat fourth placegetters when winding up 3.25 lengths astern of Hard Questions. He has since gone on to record a pair of Addington 520m misses, along with a Forbury Park 545m miss.
The Southland hosted NZRS Graduation heat winning podium pics (from left) Gary Cleeve with Sader Nation and Hard Questions; Peter Seque with Nozzno Fear - pics supplied by Dave Robbie - drobbie@ihug.co.nz – 021 607 869 for all your South Island race photos
By Peter Fenemor
