The amazing chasing action at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday evening will continue just under an hour after the $60,000 Formpro Amazing Chase has been decided with the inaugural running of the $10,000 Visit Wanganui Amazing Chase Consolation.
Pictured: Idol Tom, who is a locally prepared contender for the Amazing Chase Consolation
It’s a cracker of an eight dog field as they’ll match their paws over the 520m trip after they delivered their respective Amazing Chase qualifying times. It is a field that certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a Group 1 final.
Here’s a look at the contenders with their respective TAB Final Field quotes (option 952).
Craig Roberts holds a strong hand in the $60,000 Formpro Amazing Chaser final with his Dyna prefixed named greyhounds. He also has a strong hand in this event with, on this occasion, his Bale suffix named chasers. Auckland Cup winner Dirk Bale $2.80 owns serious early pace and he has drawn to deliver on that asset from the two trap here. He treks north after his strong recent 25.86s Ascot Park 457m Group 2 heat win.
Geez, Roberts wouldn’t want Dirk’s litter brother Avenger Bale $6 to buy him a lotto ticket. Avenger Bale was in two ballots to gain a place in the final Amazing Chase field – he lost both of them! Hence the Amazing Chase first reserves takes his place in this field. This bloke owns volumes of strength as his recent Addington 732m NZ Stayers Cup victory confirms. His post race podium claims in this event certainly can’t be lightly dismissed.
Roberts’ son Matt will slot away his chaser Cawbourne Trixy $6, who was an Amazing Chase finalist last year, into the one trap here. She is a proven 520m chaser around this circuit and she warmed up for this assignment when she delivered her bold Manawatu 660m third last Monday. Her draw has enhanced her stake earning claims in this feature.
The Amazing Chase second reserve Bigtime Tears $5 is prepared from the powerful Lisa Cole kennel. She owns a fair amount of early pace and she contributes to a real tricky looking field owing to that asset. She is poised to push forward up onto the early pace from trap three here just like she did when she easily won the recent Group 1 NZ Breeders’ Stakes on this track when she cut out the 520m trip in a handy 29.84s.
Visit Wanganui Amazing Chase Consolation contenders includes (from left): Dirk Bale; Cawbourne Trixy; Bigtime Tears
The Cole kennel provides the enigma chaser Don’t Knocka Gee $31 as the first reserve. She’s an enigma alright as she owns an abundance of ability as evidenced by her best 30.08s winning 520m time around here. However she hates being crowded within a field which when she is tends to dictate her race.
Angela Turnwald has accepted with two strong looking chasers for this event. Cawbourne Palmer $16 certainly isn’t known for his early pace, however he is renowned for his strong finishing efforts. His race fitness coming into this event cannot be denied as he is coming of the back of two recent 660m assignments.
Kennel mate Waitohi $12 has just had the one race since she crossed the Ditch, which was in a C2/3 520m event at this venue. She made a moderate start, then she was sighted rushing home late for her third placing. Her Sunday Manukau 527m solo trial contained merit when she clocked 30.52s. The key to her prospects in this race will be what type of race start she makes.
We all know what type of race that the Marcie Flipp trained Idol Tom $9 will deliver. He will settled in the rear group after exiting from trap four, look to head towards the rail, then improve his field position going down the back straight prior to rattling home at the business end of this race. This fella certainly deserves to win a feature event after delivering a long series of consistent 520m races around this circuit.
And that leaves us with the strong Karen Walsh prepared Dusty Gambler $7.50, who will be sighted wearing the pink racing vest, to complete the drawn field. We all know the power and strength that this bloke owns – after all he strongly won the recent Group 1 Wanganui Distance (755m) on this track. He is capable of pushing up onto the early pace which will be ominous for rivals if he does so as his staying strength will kick in during the run home here.
The second reserve Cristiane Cyborg $14 is an interesting character. There’s no denying her pace and her strength as we saw when she finished as the bold runner up to Dusty Gambler in the Wanganui Distance final for her conditioner Hayley Mullane. She is generally a tad slow from the traps then she tends to make some interesting race choices when either coming around or going through a field.
Visit Wanganui Amazing Chase Consolation contenders includes (from left): Cawbourne Palmer; Waitohi; Dusty Gambler
By Peter Fenemor
