A differing pair of back-to-back Group 1 training victories is a distinct possibility for Foxton conditioner Angela Turnwald at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday evening. She will achieve that distinction should Nature’s Gent prevail in the $45,420 Spion Rose Cup.
Pictured: New Zealand Cup winner Nature’s Gent is seeking back-to-back Group 1 wins on Friday evening
If Nature’s Gent ($3.20 – TAB Final Field – option 994) wins this 520m event the recent New Zealand Cup winner will have delivered back-to-back Group 1 wins for himself. He will also provide Turnwald with back-to-back Spion Rose Cup victories after she mentored Top Prosecutor to win last year’s edition.
It was yet another professional race win that this The Bookie & Us syndicate owned greyhound produced when he scampered through his 520m heat assignment in a slick 29.68s. Basically he gave his heat rivals an absolute chasing lesson when scoring by an impressive eight length margin.
Things got a tad trickier for him when the box draw was completed. Nature’s Gent is compelled to wear the gold racing vest meaning not only is he required to use the abundance of track sense he owns, but he also he will be reliant on not getting an early touch up from any of his opponents. He is certainly smart enough to overcome those potential obstacles.
The inform Craig Roberts kennel has qualified three finalists. Allen Ablett ($4) has quickly established his credentials as an exciting chasing prospect. A number of quick Addington 520m times, coupled with his very smart 29.82s heat win here confirms that factor. He took control of his heat rivals when streaming down the back straight which resulted in a 2.75 length winning margin. A repeat of that performance is likely to see him being required back the post race podium.
Allen Ablett’s litter brother Dirk Bale ($7) will jump from the four trap, on the immediate outside of his bro. This fella owns known slick early pace and it is that asset that he must use during the initial rush just like he did when delivering his 29.99s heat win. It is acknowledged that he doesn’t own the strongest run home in this field, so his winning claim is dependent on him being on the pace when rounding the first turn.
Rounding off the Roberts prepared trio of finalists is Letron James ($21). You can call this bloke a professional Group race runner, having qualified for a number of the Black type events, however he has yet to feature in any of them. Drawing the ace trap here is likely to assist him, however he has no option but to seize the early race lead.
The trio of Craig Roberts trained Spion Rose Cup finalists (from left): Allen Ablett; Dirk Bale; Letron James
Securing the two trap has greatly enhanced the overall race claims held by the Karen Walsh prepared Thrilling Raider ($7). This bloke is one of the hardest railing chasers you’ll ever see. For example, it is extremely rare for this greyhound to go around another runner once he firmly ensconced on the paint.
He will sit for a long as it takes waiting for space on the rail, then he pounces real strongly. If he gets the right gaps at the right times then watch him strongly making his presence felt at the business end of this event. He finished stoutly for his 2.75 length heat second behind Allen Ablett.
Walsh also prepares the first reserve Light ‘em Jax ($18) who secured that possie by being the fastest third place heat finisher when he wound up 2.5 lengths behind Dirk Bale. It was a bold track debut outing by this recent open class graduate, however others in this field own greater big race experience.
Speaking about big race experience, they don’t come much more hardened than the 2016 Dave and Jean Fahey trained New Zealand Cup winner American Warrior ($5). Don’t forget that this winner of $134,830 in stake earnings is the current New Zealand Greyhound of the Year. His prospects of featuring at the sharp end of the stakes pay out soared when he was allocated the seven trap to jump away from. The wider he draws the better suited he is. He was sighted steaming home solidly when completing his heat assignment 1.5 lengths behind Dirk Bale.
The balance of the runners in this super strong overall field is provided by the nation’s leading conditioner Lisa Cole. It is quite possible she will bring up her 300th training success for the current season during this meeting. It is possible that milestone could be reached in this final as Cole will commence the meeting with 297 winners listed beside her name.
Me Jane ($16) was the remaining heat winner when she clocked her personal best 520m time, when returning 30s even. She has known early pace and she has no option but to use that healthy asset when she steps away from the eight trap. She must lead them into the first turn in order for her to feature over the concluding stages.
You can now classify her kennelmate Bigtime Paddy ($8) as an iron dog. On October 16 he strongly won the Manawatu Cup. The following day he was in Melbourne. Circumstances meant he wasn’t able to display his known electric on the pace racing style over there, however, he did deliver a very credible fourth place finish in his heat of the rich Melbourne Cup.
Seven days after that assignment at Sandown Park he was back at his favoured Hatrick track. He dug in real deep when finishing four lengths behind Me Jane in his heat. Seven sleeps later this owner of a number of quick 520m times returns to chase after his second Group 1 title. He will be sighted wearing the green racing vest in attempting to do so.
The occupant of the second possie on the reserve bench is also a very handy greyhound. Allegro Gun ($18) is a proven chaser around this circuit as seen by his best 29.92s winning time. He did set up the early pace before yielding firstly to Allen Ablett, and then to Thrilling Raider when winding up a seven length heat third.
Spion Rose Cup finalists includes (from left): Thrilling Raider; American Warrior; Bigtime Paddy
By Peter Fenemor
