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 NZ Greyhound Racing 
Friday, March 13 2020

Two strong $10,000 feature races highlights the attractive overall 15 race card that the Palmerston North GRC will host during Monday’s Commentators Day Out meeting at the Manawatu Raceway.

 

Pictured: Monday’s 660m contender Von Strass delivering her Thursday Addington 37.58s 645m track record win (pic Dave Robbie)

 

The stayers are in action in the $10,000 Peter O’Neill Perth to Palmy Distance feature over 660m (race 8). As the race name suggest the event will be commentated by the Perth based Cannington track commentator Peter O’Neill. On Saturday evening he will call the Group 1 Perth Cup and Galaxy Distance events prior to boarding his long haul flight.

 

Von Strass was sensational at the Addington Raceway on Thursday evening when her conditioners Dave and Jean Fahey produced her to break the Addington 645m track record. She rocketed through her assignment in a stunning 37.58s and in doing so removed Perfect Result from the Christchurch GRC 645m record book (37.59s). 

 

The recent powerful Manukau 46.44s 779m winner delivered both of her wins when using pace making tactics. Expect her to adopt similar racing tactics when she exits from trap two in this 660m event.

 

Mighty Muscle, also for the Fahey’s, finished strongly in the same Thursday 645m race to claim the runner up prize when finishing 8.5 lengths behind his freewheeling kennelmate. He has been a previous Manawatu 660m winner (38.26s) and he will hop away from trap seven on Monday.

 

Local conditioner Angela Turnwald has aimed some pretty powerful contenders at this event, accepting with three stayers. Kamada Park is a proven 660m stayer around this venue (four wins). We saw that when he extended strongly when delivering his 38.50s last start 660m win here. He has drawn kindly in the one trap for this task.

 

Hot Platter is a stayer who is more than capable of being able to race on the pace and she can make it a rather interesting contest by using that tactic. She has been a 660m winner (38.72s) here and she kicked on stoutly for her three-length last start 660m third behind Kamada Park. She will be sighted wearing the white racing vest here.

 

Kennelmate Emgrand Rose has placed in two of his three previous 660m races here, which includes his last start 1.25 length second when, after setting the pace, he was run down late by Kamada Park. He has solid staying credentials as seen in his recent Hatrick and Addington 645m wins. He set up the pace when delivering those wins. The concern for his in this event is his trap eight draw, which is a trap that he has just one minor placing from the eight times he has raced from there.

 

Lisa Cole is aiming two stayers at this event. Djay Dynamix has placed in one of his three previous 660m assignments. His last outing three weeks ago saw him gamely chasing home race rival here Emgrand Rose 7.75 lengths behind him over the Hatrick 645m trip. He’s racing from the four trap on Monday.

 

Kennelmate Bigtime Acacia wound up 15.5 lengths astern of Emgrand Rose in that same Hatrick 645m event. Her only staying win came over 645m over the Hatrick 645m trip (38.20s). She will bounce away from the six trap here when she backs up from her Friday C5 520m race.

 

Avenger Bale is travelling north with his trainer Craig Roberts after he was involved in Von Strass’s 645m track record-breaking race where he raced wide through the early stages when chasing after the pacemaker. He has recently returned from a spell. He hasn’t drawn the best, being allocated trap five to be loaded away into for his track debut appearance.  

   

The first reserve is the locally Gary and Sandra Fredrickson prepared Double That who was bold when landing his on the pace 38.85s C0D 660m win five races ago. Occupying the second possie on the reserves bench is Rich Lister for Marie Gowan. He is a C0D graded stayer, who was sound his last start C0D Hatrick 645m second. He finished 3.25 lengths behind Double That over 660m four races ago.

 

  

Peter O’Neill Perth to Palmy Distance contenders includes (from left): Hot Platter; Djay Dynamix; Avenger Bale

 

Tim Newbold Million Dollar Man C5 Feature

 

As the race name suggests this $10,000 457m feature will be called by Sydney’s Tim Newbold and it’s a cracking field that he’ll commentate on in an event where two trainers provides the drawn field. It is a classic North Island (Manawatu) verses South Island (Canterbury) clash.

 

Melita Vella is returning here following her strong win in Monday’s $6,500 Taranaki Cup for Lisa Cole. She displayed track sense when delivering her 30.50s feature 520m win. She heads into this event with a 25.92s best winning 457m time at this venue. She is a proven chaser on the big, sweeping one turn tracks as seen by her strong Cambridge 457m form. She’s exiting from trap six which is the ninth consecutive occasion she has drawn trap six or wider.

 

The other four Cole runners will be backing up from their Friday evening Hatrick 520m (race 9) assignments. The luckless Auckland Cup finalist Bigtime Rod will slot away into the one trap here. The current holder of the third quickest Golden Chase qualifying time (25.87s) is likely to appreciate his improved draw after he also suffered from an impeded racing passage in the Taranaki Cup.

 

Big Time Ocean was gallant when, after she stumbled at the start, she quickly improved to set the pace around the first turn in Monday’s Taranaki Cup. The effort told on her during the run home which saw her finishing third. She is bringing a 26.02s best 457m time into this event where she’ll hop away from trap two.

 

Big Time Elsa was a last start 30.35s Hatrick C5 520m winner when she ran down race rival here Big Time Jackson. She must use similar on the pace racing tactics when she exits from trap three here. Her best 457m effort on this track (three wins) is a 26.12s clock.

 

Big Time Jackson drew the eight trap for his Friday 520m task and he will be sighted here wearing the pink racing vest again. He was cut out of a podium placing late in the Taranaki Cup when finishing fourth. Speaking about podium appearances, he has missed returning to this venue’s podium just once after ten races (four wins, best 26.13s).

 

Craig Roberts provides the other three runners with all three of them looking to improve on their current Golden Chase 457m times. Dyna Dave is making his race track debut outing here after his 26.28s 457m solo trial here last week. Expect him to have benefited from that outing and he is likely to be sighted using his power-packed finish. The winner of $257,995 will hop away from trap four here.

 

Xabil Bale returned 26.26s for her Wednesday 457m trial when also checking out this venue for the first time. She was a strong pace making prior 30.34s Addington 520m winner, however she hasn’t received any favours having been allocated the five trap to jump away from.

 

Oster Bale suffered from early traffic issues when he made his track debut here last Wednesday. He chased home kennelmate, Xabil Bale, when finishing a six-length third to her at Addington in his prior race. He will be sighted wearing the black racing vest here.

 

The first reserve Rapid Fire is right on the edge of qualifying for the Golden Chase with his 26.05s clock for his trainers Gary and Sandra Fredrickson. He kicked on stoutly for his close up Wednesday 457m third behind Auckland Cup winner Silenci. Take a look at him from the one trap in the Victoria Shaw Celebrating Women in Racing C5 (race 8) event if he doesn’t get a race start in this feature.

 

Exactly the same comment can be made for the Dave and Jean Fahey trained second reserve Sprint Falcon who will complete his Golden Chase qualifying criteria by also contesting race 8 if he doesn’t get a start here. He finished powerfully when annexing his tidy 30s flat Addington Thursday 520m win.      

 

  

Tim Newbold Million Dollar Man C5 Feature contenders includes (from left): Melita Vella; Big Time Jackson; Dyna Dave 

 

By Peter Fenemor

Posted by: AT 08:16 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
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