The New Zealand National’s Middle Distance qualifying heats continue at the Addington and Hatrick Raceways later in the week, while insufficient nominations saw the scheduled Manukau heat for Sunday being abandoned. The first set of four qualifiers for next week’s semi-finals was established at Forbury Park on Tuesday.
Pictured: Must Be Rusty delivering his Forbury Park Tuesday NZ National’s Middle Distance heat win (pic Dave Robbie)
Thursday evening sees the second of the South Island Nationals Middle Distance heats being contested at Addington (race 10) where a handy looking field has been drawn for the 520m event. It’s a line up where greyhounds prepared by Craig Roberts look set to strongly make their presence felt.
The low flying Dyna Dave will deservedly start as the rather warm favourite after his effortless 30.23s C4/5 520m win here last Thursday. Drawing trap two strongly enhances his heat advancement claims here.
Likewise securing the ace trap is likely to greatly assist the qualifying claims held by his kennelmate Sailor Allen. He has been setting the early pace in his recent 520m races here which includes his bold on the pace fourth in the recent Group 2 Barron’s South Island Champs.
The Steve and Bonnie Evans prepared Goldstar Aston qualified for next Thursday’s semis when he delivered his bold Tuesday 4.75 length Forbury Park 545m heat third. He holds solid looking sake claims in this event, especially after his tidy 4.75 length 520m second to Dyna Dave last week. If, as expected, he finishes in the first four placings, the fifth placed greyhound from this heat will advance to the semis.
There will be two contenders racing here from the powerful Dave and Jean Fahey kennels. Go Brat suffered from traffic problems when he headed into the first turn here last week after he hopped away from trap eight. He must quickly push forward from the seven trap here.
Kennelmate, the first reserve Max Dancer, gains a race start from trap eight here following the withdrawal of Dyna Varsity. She is giving away a slice of class here being C3 graded, but in saying that the tidy 520m record (30.13s best) she is quickly compiling says it won’t be long before she matches her paws with the open graded greyhounds.
Know Threat is returning to his home venue for his conditioner Gary Cleeve after his luckless, traffic impeded last start Manukau 527m outing in the Group 2 NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes. He hasn’t drawn the best here after being allocated the six trap. He is generally sighted finishing solidly.
The New Zealand Cup finalist David’s Legacy will be sighted wearing the red, white and blue racing vest when he exits from trap five here for his trainer Mark Robinson. He also has been displaying early pace in his recent 520m assignments, although that has been in C3 fields. He can and he must contest the early pace here.
It will be a seven dog field that will parade to the 520m traps as Mr. Matt (five) and Bahama Queen (four) were racing stand downs from Tuesday’s Otago meeting. Bahama Queen did qualify for the semis when her trainer Jason Dunn produced her for her 6.25 length 545m fourth.
Adding interest to this event are the three Amazing Chase nominated greyhounds who will contest this heat. All three will be looking to improve on their current Addington Amazing Chase qualifying times which are – Dyna Dave 30.11s (first), Max Dancer 30.20s (third equal) and Sailor Allen 30.36s (ninth). Bertie Allen will record his first time when he contests the race 9 CC3/4 520m event from trap one for Craig Roberts.
Addington NZ Nationals Middle Distance contenders includes (from left): Dyna Dave; Go Brat; David’s Legacy
Wanganui NZ Nationals Middle Distance qualifying heat
It’s a seven dog field who will contest Friday’s Hatrick 520m Middle Distance heat and it includes a pair of multiple Group race winners this season. The recent Group 2 Barron’s South Island Champs 520m Addington winner Nature’s Gent makes his return to this venue for his mentor Angela Turnwald. The noted railer is a proven Hatrick 520m chaser (29.68s best), however he can be assisted here when he hops way from six trap here owing the five trap being vacant.
Turnwald has accepted with two other contenders. Hot Platter is resuming from a four month spell and the C4 assessed chaser is seeking her first Hatrick 520m win here from trap four. On the other paw kennelmate Arden Emgrand is a proven 520m chaser at this venue as seen by his best 30.05s winning time. He’s currently a C4 graded chaser who will be sighted in the black racing vest here.
Lisa Cole is lining up two heat runners here and both of them have to be rated as sound qualifying prospects. The dual group 1 winner Trojan Hoarse will jump from the eight trap here, which is the same trap that this renowned pacemaker set up the pace in his C4/5 520m outing last Friday. He was run down by 0.8 of a length then.
Bigtime Rod was the stylish winner of last Friday’s $12,000 NZRS Advanced final here. He secured that feature win from trap two and he will be loaded away into the same trap in this heat. He has produced a quick 29.91s 520m gallop around this circuit.
Gary and Sandra Fredrickson are also providing two runners which includes last Friday’s strong finishing 30.83s C4/5 520m winner Gazza’s Girl. She isn’t known for her early pace, plus she tends to race out a tad wide, however in saying that she is in a current solid patch of tidy form. She will race in the white racing vest here.
Gaining the draw advantage for this event is her kennelmate Big League Diva who will be loaded away into trap one here. She downgraded back to C2 when she missed in her C3/4 Monday 457m race. She does own early pace which is an asset she must use at trap rise here.
Amazing Chase qualifying times will posted by two runners in the Middle Distance heat. The kennelmates Nature’s Gent and Hot Platter will post their first Hatrick times, while ironically Nature’s Gent is currently sitting in second place on the Addington leaderboard with his 30.16s clock in the south.
Leading the Hatrick Amazing Chase contenders is the Matt Roberts prepared She’s For Us who record her 30.49s 520m clock last Friday when she made her NZ race debut outing. She’ll be looking to improve on that time in her race 3 C3/4 520m assignment.
Hatrick NZ Nationals Middle Distance contenders includes (from left): Nature’s Gent; Trojan Hoarse; Gazza’s Girl
Otago NZ National’s Middle Distance heat
The honour of training the very first NZ National’s winner went to John McInerney when he produced his Forbury Park track specialist Must Be Rusty to lead his rivals all the way when he claimed his 32.53s 545m heat win at Forbury Park on Tuesday. He was the fifth of seven winners trained from the team McInerney kennels during the meeting.
The 2018 Dunedin Cup winner was always in control of the pace, although the Gary Cleeve prepared recent NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Know Refusal fairly flew home late, closing the margin down to just a half-length. Goldstar Aston pressed on for his third placing another 4.25 lengths behind for Steve and Bonnie Evans, while the Jason Dunn trained Bahama Queen booked her Addington semi-final field position by being the next to arrive home another 1.5 lengths back.
The Otago NZ National’s Middle Distance heat winner Must Be Rusty seen here with his handler Buffy Goodman along with her young friends (pic Dave Robbie); Know Refusal was the runner up, while Goldstar Ashton finished third
By Peter Fenemor
