Late week and weekend racing action saw significant changes occurring at the top of the leaderboards at all three Formpro Amazing Chase qualifying venues. New leaders now hold the leading times at Addington and Manukau, while the Hatrick leader improved on his recorded time.
Pictured: The new Manukau Formpro Amazing Chase leader Westworld following his Sunday 527m 30.56s 527m clock
Unquestionably the star act from the latest qualifying attempts was the Craig Roberts prepared Dyna Dave with his sensational track record breaking 29.75s Addington 520m clock. As previously mentioned his time lowered the previous 29.78s 520m track record set by Miss Koonawarra in May 2008. His TAB Futures market quotes immediately crashed in with him now being offered at $2.20 (Win – option 1967 & $1.40 (Top 3 – option 1968).
Roberts trained greyhounds now hold a mortgage on the Addington Amazing Chase times with Dyna Weslyn ($5.50 & $1.90) holding the second possie after her slick 29.81s 520m win the previous week.
Entering the Addington leaderboard on Friday afternoon was Pirate’s Curse ($41 & $7) who now holds the third position at the Christchurch headquarters when the Dave and Jean Fahey trained stayer solo trialed over 520m in 30.10s.
It’s another Roberts’ prepared chaser who entered the Addington table in fifth place with the recent Christchurch Casino New Zealand Stayers’ Cup winner Avenger Bale ($14 & $3.70) returning 30.38s via his Thursday nine length second placing to Dyna Dave. His kennel mate Dirk Bale ($31 & $7) drops back to fourth at this venue with his earlier 30.20s time.
The first three greyhounds on the Addington Formpro Amazing Chase leaderboard is in order from left: Dyna Dave; Dyna Weslyn; Pirate’s Curse
Hatrick Raceway
Entering Friday’s racing it was Bigtime Paddy ($7 & $2) who held the top possie on the Hatrick Amazing Chase leaderboard with his earlier 30.03s 520m time. He completed the evening retaining his leading time for his trainer Lisa Cole after he slipped through his NZRS Advanced 520m heat assignment in a tidy 29.92s.
It was his kennel mate Bigtime Tears ($18 & $5) who chased him home two lengths behind with her registering a 30.06s clock seeing her advancing into a current final field position when taking over third place. Idol Tom ($61 & $16) didn’t improve on his previous 30.19s time when he finished fourth for his trainer Marcie Flipp.
Bigtime Levi ($31 & $7) led home the Amazing Chase contenders in the second NZRS Advanced heat for Cole. He clocked 30.57s for his race second placing. Northern trainer Hayley Mullane ventured south with her stayer Cristiane Cyborg ($31 & $7.50) however she suffered from a traffic impeded racing passage which led to her 30.71s official Hatrick time.
However prior to the NZRS Advance heats it was Cawbourne Krusty ($12 & $2.70) who temporary propelled herself to the top on the Hatrick leaderboard when the dual Group race 520m winning greyhound produced her 29.98s C3 520m win for her trainer Matt Roberts.
There was a fair amount of interest surrounding the C4/5 520m event where four greyhounds were chasing after qualifying times. It was another chaser from the Craig Roberts kennels who came out on top of this group when his Auckland Cup title holder Dirk Bale returned 30.18s for his 520m gallop. That put him into fourth place at this venue, nudging Idol Tom out of that possie by a whisker.
Finishing in behind him was the Angela Turnwald prepared NZ Cup winner Nature’s Gent ($10 & $2.70) who posted his first time at 30.48s. They were followed in by Ask King Jeff (Cole) ($51 & $8) who didn’t improved on his previous 30.48s time while Cawbourne Trixy (Matt Roberts) ($151 & $31) lodged a 30.61s clock.
Three Amazing Chase qualifying 520m solo trials held prior to the race meeting failed to make any impression on the Hatrick leading time holders. They were Dyna Elwyn (Craig Roberts) ($15 & $3) 30.31s, Mija Sydney (Angela Turnwald) ($151 & $31) 30.35s and Platinum Marshall (Craig Roberts) ($151 & $31) 30.55s.
The first three greyhounds on the Hatrick Formpro Amazing Chase leaderboard is in order from left: Bigtime Paddy; Cawbourne Krusty; Bigtime Tears
Manukau Stadium
It was a shuffling of the northern Amazing Chase leaderboard on Sunday afternoon when local conditioner Ben Craik presented four Amazing Chase nominated greyhounds. The previous Manukau second place holder Westworld ($81 & $18) went to the top when he finished strongly to clock 30.56s for his C4/5 527m win. He powerfully ran down his kennel mate Cameo Syd by a neck to claim his win. Cameo Syd ($151 & $31) moved into second (from his previous third) when he was credited with his 30.59s time.
Trip To Eden ($81 & $18) registered his first official Amazing Chase time during the same race where he endured a traffic impeded race while suffering from a minor injury. He was given a 31.36s time for his 527m gallop.
Prior to the race meeting Craik presented Zipping Chang ($151 & $18) to solo trial over 527m which saw him returning 30.80s. Last year’s Formpro Amazing Chaser runner up Ridin’ Shotgun ($21 & $6) fairly flew around the Manukau 527m trip in a trial with another greyhound when he clocked a swift 30.09s for his conditioner Karen Walsh. Obviously it wasn’t an official Amazing Chase time, however he holds an official 30.73s current qualifying time which sees him sitting in fourth place.
The previous Manukau leaderboard pace setter was Cristiane Cyborg whose earlier 30.62s 527m time now sees her sitting in third place. Hayley Mullane took her charge south to Hatrick on Friday evening where she failed to make an impression of the River City leaderboard after her luckless outing in a NZRS Advanced 520m heat.
The first three greyhounds on the Manukau Formpro Amazing Chase leaderboard in order from left: Westworld; Cameo Syd; Cristiane Cyborg
The current Formpro Amazing Chase Field (as at July 9)
Addington Raceway (520m) Hatrick Raceway (520m) Manukau Stadium (527m)
Dyna Dave 29.75s Bigtime Paddy 29.92s Westworld 30.56s
Dyna Weslyn 29.81s Cawbourne Krusty 29.98s Cameo Syd 30.59s
Pirate’s Curse 30.10s* Bigtime Tears 30.06s Cristiane Cyborg 30.62s*
Dirk Bale 30.18+
*Ballot to be held to determine getting into final field, with ballot loser being the first reserve
+ Second reserve
Other Amazing Chase News
There will be a $10,000 520m race on finals day, which will be run under the “Visit Wanganui” banner available for Amazing Chase nominated greyhounds who have posted qualifying times. The field will be selected in the following order:
The two official Amazing Chase reserves will be joined by the holders of the next two fastest times from the three qualifying venues. The reserves for this feature will be provided from the Hatrick leaderboard – in other words this will be the 7th and 8th fastest times posted at Hatrick.
The Week Ahead
Formpro Amazing Chaser nominees who hold racing engagements (not including any potential solo trialists) for the balance of this week are:
Addington Raceway (Thursday): Dyna Weslyn (race 9), Dirk Bale (race 10) and Dyna Dave (race 10),
Hatrick raceway (Friday): Waitohi (race 3), Bigtime Levi (race 9), Bigtime Paddy (race 9), Idol Tom (race 9), Bigtime Tears (race 9), Bigtime Vanessa (race 10), Nature’s Gent (race 10), Cawbourne Krusty (race 10) and Ask King Jeff (race 10).
Manukau Stadium (Sunday): It’s all going to happen in the race 11 C4/5 527m event here with four Amazing Chase nominees lining up which includes the top three on the Manukau leaderboard. Ben Craik provides Westworld, Cameo Syd and last Sunday’s solo trialist Zipping Chang. Hayley Mullane will be absolutely stoked to see her charge Cristiane Cyborg drawing the eight trap here.
By Peter Fenemor
