It’s a real cracker of a Thursday afternoon meeting at the Cambridge Raceway with a strong 13 race card presented. Spearheading the meeting is the annual running of the $15,825 Angus Wright Memorial Invitation at Group 2 level over 457m. It’s an intriguing field that has been invited to contest this event.
Pictured: Beautiful Boy, who has drawn ideally for Thursday’s Angus Wright Memorial Invitation
The leading Manukau trainer from last season Ben Craik has two contenders contesting this feature. Both of them are proven 457m chasers around this circuit and both have received draws from where they have compiled solid records from.
Beautiful Boy ($7, TAB Final Field, option 991) will be loaded away into trap two for this assignment. His last outing here saw him finishing a 2.3 length 457m third to his kennel mate and race rival here Beaumont. Securing an improved draw here has enhanced his stake claims as he’s likely to hold the rail during the early rush for positions.
“It’s a good field and both of our greyhounds has to do everything right. I believe they will be competitive and we’re really looking forward to the race. Beautiful Boy is suited to his trap and I’m hoping he can get himself onto the pace on the rail from there. He missed a race last week (lure breakdown) however he’s a race fit dog. We’ve have deliberately kept him to racing at Cambridge and we’re happy with him going into the race,” advised Lisa Craik about their charge who is one of three Kiwi bred greyhounds who will contest this race.
Beaumont ($10) will hop away from the eight trap here. It was from that trap where he led throughout for his last start 25.81s 457m win in what was admittedly a depleted four dog field. Still he did what he had to do after having also delivered his previous 25.76s pace making 457m win from the one trap.
“I’m happy with his preparation going into Thursday and he has come into solid form at the right time. He has done the hard yards around Cambridge and I’m happy with his box draw although he has to place himself handy to the pace,” advised Craik.
Leading strike rate trainer Karen Walsh will load her charge Ridin’ Shotgun ($5.50) into the tricky five trap for this assignment. His form from that trap is solid, plus he also brings sound 457m track form into this event having won five of his seven (two placings) 457m races at this venue. Included is his rather smart 25.48s best winning time. He last race in June over 527m, however he was sighted delivering a sharp Manukau 527m trail during July. He missed his lead in race going into this event owing to a no race last week, however his trainer will have him spot on for this assignment.
Nature’s Gent ($3) is a proven trap one specialist and it is from that trap where the Angela Turnwald prepared current New Zealand Cup title holder will exit from on Thursday. In fact he tasted his first defeat from six races from the ace trap when he finished a determined second in the recent Wanganui Cup. He was sighted doing his best work at the business end of that Group 1 event. He probably won’t be the quickest into the stride, however he is likely to stick to the rail throughout from where he’ll launch his known strong finish.
“His draw is the right place for him to be although his race starts certainly isn’t his strong suit. I also feel he isn’t suited to racing on the one turn tracks – he races horrible on the Palmerston North track. He has really pleased us since his Wanganui Cup race,” said Paul Freeman about his partners’ charge who has placed in both of his previous Cambridge 457m outings.
Angus Wright Memorial Invitation contenders includes (from left): Beaumont; Ridin’ Shotgun; Nature’s Gent
Canterbury trainer Craig Roberts is venturing north with two more than capable contenders. Two races ago last season’s Auckland Cup winner Dirk Bale ($5) stylishly won the Group 2 Far South Challenge on the similarly shaped Ascot Park track also over 457m. He won that event in the same way that he won his Auckland Cup by adopting pace making tactics. Obviously he has the ability to employ that healthy race option from the seven trap here.
“He has come through Invercargill really good and he has worked up super since then. I expect him to use his early pace to hunt up early and lead them – he’ll be a big chance if he does that,” stated Roberts.
Dyna Dave ($5) was given a freshen up after his miss in the Amazing Chase match race series. He qualified for that series when he delivered his scintillating Addington 29.75s 520m time when he broke the long standing 520m track record there. He has had limited one turn track experience having three Ascot Park races, while he missed in his only Cambridge race which was in a New Zealand Derby heat.
“He really enjoyed and thrived during his break. He’s ready to return to action now and he trailed up real good earlier in the week. I expect a huge run from him if he gets out of the boxes quickly. I reckon he’s as good now as what he was when he broke the Addington 520m track record,” commented Roberts.
Lisa Cole provides the remaining two contenders (plus the second reserve), both of whom are New Zealand bred. Bigtime Wendle ($21) has contested three Group 1 Hatrick 520m finals. She owns early pace and exiting from the six trap here isn’t likely to faze her at all as she is generally sighted racing in the middle of the track.
She warmed up this assignment by delivering her two length Manawatu 457m second to kennel mate Ask King Jeff on Monday. “She has got heaps of early pace. She can feature if she gets the jump right. I’m not worried about her draw and she has come through her Monday race okay,” suggested Brendon Cole.
Bigtime McDaddy ($21) has had a slightly unorthodox lead up into this event. He arrives back at Cambridge after delivering a stylish pair of pace making Hatrick 645m wins. However prior to that he produced a smart Manawatu 457m C3/4 win when he stopped the clock in 25.90s.
“He has been an injury prone greyhound who has finally come right. He is a fast dog and who knows what could happen if he picks the jump (from trap four). He has done okay since his last race,” said Cole.
Angus Wright Memorial Invitation contenders includes (from left): Dirk Bale; Dyna Dave; Bigtime Wendle; Bigtime McDaddy
Second reserve Ask King Jeff ($12) will bring solid Manawatu 457m form north with him for either this event or in his race 12 457m engagement. He led home his kennel mate Bigtime Wendle when he finished strongly for his 26.02s Monday Manawatu 457m win.
The first reserve Pinny Mack ($9) adds possible intrigue to this event if he can secure a race start here. It’s fair to say that this Steve Clark trained former West Australian chaser has endured a horror start to his Kiwi racing career. He spread-eagled himself when he exited from the Hatrick 520m traps in his Amazing Chase match, then he suffered from a traffic impeded racing passage during his 375m sprint here last Thursday. He does owns slick early pace.
Dusty Gambler WGRC 2017/18 Distance
As indicated above it is a strong overall Thursday race card framed by the Waikato club. The main support event is the $7,000 Dusty Gambler WGRC 2017/18 Distance event over the 650m staying trip.
As the race name suggests the meeting also reflects on the top performers, both canine and human, on the Cambridge track for the 2017/18 racing season. The Waikato GRC Greyhound of the Year awards will be presented prior to the meeting.
Dusty Gambler was the top rated track stayer for last season and he commences his Cambridge new season racing activities for his trainer Karen Walsh in what is a real competitive looking field. He is returning to his home track after delivering his strong Wanganui Distance 755m win.
Adding the excitement factor to this event is the Craig Roberts prepared Dyna Weslyn. Three races ago she set fresh Addington 645m figures when she skipped through her assignment there in a swift 37.68s. She is bred to be an outstanding stayer and this winner of ten of her twelve career races adds real spice to this event with her track debut appearance here.
Roberts’ son Matt has a couple of interesting acceptors in this event. Cawbourne Krusty made her staying debut at Hatrick over 645m two races ago and she delivered an emphatic 37.79s win. She then struck some traffic problems in her last 645m outing there when running second. Her kennel mate Cawbourne Trixy is also no slouch over the 645m trip as her recent Hatrick placings suggests.
Argus Filch finally receives a decent draw having been allocated the one trap for this event after a series of recent unsuitable wide draws. Don’t forget that this Angela Turnwald trained stayer was a Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar finalist as was the locally Peter Ferguson prepared Electric Lotto two seasons ago.
Don’t Knocka Gee adds the mystique factor to this race. This Lisa Cole trained stayer has two distinct racing styles. When she is sighted setting the pace she is good, a very good stayer as seen by her effortless pair of Manawatu 660m wins. When she’s caught up in a field, well then she’s rather moderate as seen in his last start Hatrick 645m outing.
Dusty Gambler WGRC 2017/18 Distance contenders includes (from left): Dusty Gambler; Dyna Weslyn; Cawbourne Krusty
By Peter Fenemor
