The NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes is all about recognising the New Zealand based sires. This annual Group 2 527m event is restricted to the progeny of locally sired greyhounds.
It is a strong looking field who will contest this Sunday’s edition of the $15,000 527m race at the Manukau Stadium.
Karen Walsh has accepted with four contenders (one of them is the second reserve), all of them being from the Sergio and Thrilling Ella, December 2014 whelped litter. Two of them Thrilling Surge and Thrilling Raider will record race times that counts towards the Formpro Amazing Chase qualifying times.
Thrilling Surge will really enjoy slotting away into the ace trap on Sunday. He is an absolute dead set railer. The effort that he put in for his fourth placing in his last start NZ Breeders’ Stakes final was huge considering he jumped away from the eight trap. He was sighted cutting hard down to the rail immediately after the race start was made.
“Yes his draw is certainly a good help – he finally gets a decent draw for a big race. He’s is very bright and well. He deserves to win a race like this – he has plenty of ability, but hasn’t had a draw yet (inside) to display that in a feature race,” said Walsh.
It was great to see Thrilling Raider back in action at the Manawatu Raceway on Monday afternoon. He was resuming after he endured shocking racing luck when racing into the first turn in an Auckland Cup heat back in February. He made it 15 wins from just 17 races when delivering his smart 26.05s 457m gallop.
“I’m not sure what draw really suits him as he isn’t the best of starters. He has really amazed us with what he has achieved so far. He has trialled okay at Manukau since his Auckland Cup heat fall and he went okay. Put it this way, he doesn’t appear to hold any grudges with it (the track),” advised Walsh.
Thrilling Hettie completes the drawn trio of the Gary Harding bred and owned kennel representation in this feature. Her race fitness going in Sunday cannot be questioned after she bravely set up the initial pace when racing over 660m in Palmerston North on Monday. It took a couple of strong stayers to get past her over the concluding stages.
“I would have preferred her drawing out wide – not because she’s a wide runner, but owing to her falling when she was last at Manukau (from trap one). She is as good as any of them. We gave her the Palmerston 660m race to give her more race confidence,” added Walsh.
Thrilling Wilson is the second reserve who endured a luckless last start May 25 Cambridge C2/3 457m outing when he was downgrading. The mentor of the quartet also added about their Dad Sergio, “We would love to win this race for Sergio. He did fantastically well from the limited number of opportunities he received at stud.” He is the current NZ Sire of the Year after having also won it in the previous two seasons. Once again Sergio is clearly in the box seat this season to make it four straight national titles.
Sire Sergio (left) is represented in the drawn NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes field by Thrilling Surge, Thrilling Raider and Thrilling Hettie
There are two contenders from the strong Dave and Jean Fahey kennels travelling north. They are also a pair of litter mates, being from the Winsome Opawa and Opawa Andrea, January 2015 whelped litter. Both of them arrive in the north after having contested the Group 1 NZ Breeders’ Stakes in their last assignment.
Opawa Brad was sighted dashing home late along the rail to claim his 2.1 length third in that final. He has drawn nicely in the two trap for Sunday. The claims that the strong chaser Opawa Racer owns in this event will hinge on her race start. A tardy start at Hatrick saw her losing all claims. She must break quickly from trap six on Sunday.
“Opawa Brad has a good draw (trap two). He is a good honest dog and he is our best chance. Opawa Racer will need luck from that draw (trap six). She does run on strongly. Both of them are all set for Sunday,” confirmed Dave Fahey.
Sire Winsome Opawa (left) is represented by Opawa Brad and Opawa Racer in the NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes field
Maintaining the kennel and litter theme in this final are the pair of Lisa Cole trained runners. Bigtime OnFire and Bigtime Welldone were whelped in the Bigtime Kinvara and Bigtime Karen, January 2015 litter. Bigtime OnFire contested the NZ Oaks final where she finished fourth. She is making her track debut here on the back of her last start C3 520m 30.40s Hatrick win.
Bigtime Welldone checked out the Manukau track last Sunday where she was denied early racing room in a C3/4 527 event. “I thought there were heats going into a final which now means that Bigtime OnFire goes into the race blind (track debut). Their draws have made it that much tougher and their lack of track experience is likely to be a telling factor in that field. Bigtime Welldone was completely lost up there last Sunday. Both of ours will need plenty of luck,” suggested Brendon Cole.
Sire Bigtime Kinvara is represented by Bigtime OnFire and Bigtime Welldone in the NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes field
The drawn field is completed by the Ben Craik prepared Bloomingdales. She is a member of the Snicko and Fancy Milly litter which was also whelped in January 2015. Her strongest asset is her slippery early pace and it is that tactic she must use immediately on exiting from trap eight here. We saw her using that early pace when she led her C3/4 527m rivals for a long way last Sunday prior to being run down over the concluding stages.
“What she has going for her is her box speed. She must lead out and hope for others to get into trouble behind her. She can be a rough place chance if she does. She worked very well during the week,” advised Tracey Craik from the kennel that mentored the 2010 (Hailey’s Agent) and 2011 (Beatrix Kiddo) NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes winners.
Sire Snicko is represented by Bloomingdales in the NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes field
The first reserve is Hey Khali from the Jared Udy and Denise Cottam kennels. She is a May 2015 whelp from the Ate Too Much and Hot Pootie (she ran second in the 2012 NZ Sires final). She will come into this event if required on the back of recent 318m and 305m sprints.
