Feature racing for the 2016/17 season wraps up for the Christchurch Club at the Addington Raceway on Thursday evening where two $7,500 Restricted Age 520m races will be decided.
Pictured: Tom Tee delivering his easy Garden City Classic heat win (pic Dave Robbie)
Kolorful Kanvas Garden City Classic (Race 10)
The brilliant current form that the Group 2 South Island Champs title holder Tom Tee ($1.75 – TAB Final field – option 910) is in was graphically illustrated by his searing 29.99s 520m heat win for his conditioner Ray Adcock. Sure he delivered his ninth win from his last ten races from the ace trap, however his form from trap eight where he will jump from here also makes for tidy reading.
Opawa Brad ($3.10), also a recent Group 2 527m winner, is also in current career best form. The Dave and Jean Fahey trained chaser produced a 30.48s heat win. His last two wins has come from the two trap and drawing that trap again here says he certainly can feature in this event.
The Fahey’s have qualified another three finalists here. Mazu ($10.50) gave a fair amount of initial cheek to Tom Tee in his heat, especially when he matched his paws with him rounding the first turn. He was brave in the manner that he stuck to his task for his 4.25 length second to the heat winner.
Trumped ($8) is a promising chaser for the future. He has drawn kindly in trap one here from where he must put himself handy to the early pace. He finished stoutly when winding up another four lengths behind Mazu in his heat in third. Draxler ($13) is a litter brother to Mazu whose stakes claim on Thursday will hinge on what type of racing passage he can secure going into the first turn. He pressed on from the rear group when finishing 8.75 lengths astern of Opawa Brad in his heat.
Invercargill trainer Brett Conor is making the long trek north again with his recently imported Aussie chaser Sea Fever ($22). He wound up 7.25 lengths behind Opawa Brad in his heat after racing just in behind the pace throughout. He has been provided with no favours after being allocated the five trap to jump from.
Shady Snapper ($25) will represent the Craig Roberts kennels in this final. That was a sound heat effort from this C3 graded chaser to gamely chase after Opawa Brad over the last half of his heat, which resulted in his 3.75 length second to him. He must quickly push forward onto the early pace here.
John McInerney qualified Shift The Blame ($43) for this final, plus his kennel also provides both reserves. Shift The Blame, who also holds a C3 grading, settled just behind the pace during the early rush and he remained there for the balance of the trip for his 3.9 length third to Opawa Brad.
There will be no doubts about the race fitness first reserve Waimac ($29) holds if he gains a race start here. He led home the “second division” behind the outstanding stayer Ring The Bell with the former Aussie chaser completing his 770 assignment in an astounding 46.28s track record time for the gruelling journey. Second reserve Spring Sam ($41) also contested a Dunedin event on Tuesday where he stylishly won a C2 545m event in 32.56s.
Kolorful Kanvas Garden City Classic heat winner Tom Tee with handler Jordan Bryce; delivering his heat win and he’s with handler Katie Wyllie at the podium (pics Dave Robbie)
Flair Canterbury Laurels
Five greyhounds will represent the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels (they also have both reserves) in the $7,500 Flair Canterbury Laurels final (race 8). Again two 520m heats decided this final field for the girls. Fair Pippa ($1.70 – TAB Final field – option 908) was stylish in the manner that she completed her task in 30.23s. She dictated the pace throughout in doing so and she is provided with sound looking repeat claims from the ace trap here.
Opawa Racer ($6.80) lunged desperately at the finish when she came up a nose short of the heat win. She has been sighted doing her best recent work at the business end of her races and similar can be expected by her in this final. The recent NZ Stayers Cup finalist (732m) Translator ($8) is in sound current form, although she must get underway smarter on Thursday evening. She was sighted finishing stoutly for her 10.25 length heat fourth behind Fair Pippa.
Mandy Junior ($9.50) is required to wear the pink racing vest here after she extended nicely during the run home which saw her arriving home 5.75 lengths behind Cosmic Odette. There is a lack of known early pace drawn on her inner, therefore she should be able to angle inwards nicely during the run into the first turn. Opawa Plum ($15) settled in the midfield pack from where she pushed on to claim her eighth length heat third placing behind Fair Pippa.
Cosmic Odette ($6) owns sharp early pace. She used that healthy asset to annex her recent NZ Oaks victory for John McInerney and she did likewise when leading throughout to nail her narrow 30.49s heat win. She has no option but to use that tactic again when she exits from the five trap here.
The C2 graded Kay Bomb ($12) produced the race of her career for her trainer Gary Cleeve when she landed her 4.25 length heat second behind Fair Pippa. She is a litter sister to Translator (also to the Garden City Classic runners Mazu and Draxler). She has inherited the family’s strength judging by her solid heat effort.
Completing the drawn field is Cawbourne Steel ($56) from the Craig Roberts kennels. She is backing up from her traffic impeded Forbury Park C2 545m outing on Tuesday after she kicked on stoutly for her 6.5 length heat fourth to Cosmic Odette.
As mentioned it is the Fahey kennels who supplies both reserves. Opawa Tab ($14) is a promising looking chaser in the making, having won three of her six career races. She is a prospect to closely follow in the new season. Opawa Sophie ($21) is the second reserve after she plugged into the midfield for her heat fifth placing.
Flair Canterbury Laurels heat winners Fair Pippa (left) and Cosmic Odette (blue) shading Opawa Racer when winning her heat and pictured here on the podium with Johnathon McInerney - pics supplied by Dave Robbie - drobbie@ihug.co.nz – 021 607 869 for all your South Island race photos
By Peter Fenemor
