THE RACE FOR 2009-10 NZ BRED CHASER GOES RIGHT TO THE WIRE
It is entirely appropriate that the final $11,000 New Zealand Racing Series event this season can decide just which New Zealand bred chaser will be crowned as the NZ Bred Greyhound of the Year (not overall) during the October, Auckland hosted national awards dinner. Pictured: Harajuku Boy who is looking to secure the NZ Bred national title on Thursday night
The Ben Craik trained Harajuku Boy holds a slight edge over Winsome Opawa from the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels for this title and they will be matching their paws in this 457 metre contest at the Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night (race 6, 7.25pm). Both greyhounds will be required to work real hard for the valuable points available in this event, as there are a number of other fairly smart Kiwi bred chasers in this field.
Harajuku Boy, who is raced by co-breeder Tom Rodewald and Craik had to drop back to sprinting with there being no open-class 527 metre race at Auckland last Sunday. That certainly didn't faze this member of the high flying Big Daddy Cool and Idol Appeal litter as he simply stretched out stylishly when gathering in the pacemaker to nail his 18.59sec win. That would have topped him off nicely for Thursday's outing. However he will need to be electric at trap rise if he is to snare his 19th race win this season as he's required to exit from the five-trap.
Harajuku Boy and Winsome Opawa who are engaged in a tight paw wrestle for the NZ Bred Greyhound of the Year
Winsome Opawa has been beautifully placed all season by the Fahey's, along with his breeders and owners, the Opawa Racing team. So well placed in fact that this son of Spiral Nikita and Winsome Gem is still graded as a C4 greyhound despite winning 22 races throughout this season. Victory for him will only serve to illustrate the tragic lost of his mum during the year.
However these two fella's certainly won't be handed up this race on a plate as a couple of other very talented Kiwi bred greyhounds are also contesting this race. Included is Harajuku Boy's litter brother Embezzlement who is also raced by Rodewald and Craik and trained by Craik, while the Drury based trainer also has Vireya engaged here. She is a litter sister to super chaser Rasmah, being by Elite State out of Rivette Reason and she has won a New Zealand Breeders' Stakes at the elite level. Although she missed out during her Auckland C3 527 metre assignment on Sunday, she did show pace from the eight-trap, which is where she starts from here.
Even more ominous is the presence of yet another Craik trained contender in Sunday's powerful New Zealand Sires' Produce Stakes winner Hailey's Agent. He was stunning in the manner he destroyed that Group Two field when delivering his slippery 30.10 second 527 metre victory then. The son of Romberg Reason and Candy Coated gains the added bonus of jumping from the ace-trap.
The inform Hailey's Agent and kennelmate Vireya who will contest the NZRS final at Cambridge on Thursday
Bethel's Beach trainer Gerry Darcy will parade the Gary Harding owned and bred Thrilling Shot to the traps. Although he has yet to feature in the C5 ranks since he graduated into open-class this son of Elite State and Winsome Image has produced some sharp looking previous 457 metre races on this track.
The Tokoroa based father and daughter training partnership of Max Mathews and Maxine Lozell have two greyhounds contesting this race. Geez, doesn't Calm Rip deserve to win a feature race? To be realistic this versatile daughter of Skipper Rip and Calm Abiding well in likely hood struggle to feature at the sharp end in this as she has yet to win a 457 metre race here, but there certainly is no denying her tough, grinding never-say-die attitude. Kennelmate Gold For Thys, who is a son of Thrilling Sam and Tent Top, is another who has yet to taste success over this trip and although he has been recently downgraded from open-class, he isn't likely to feature at the business end.
Thrilling Shot and Calm Rip who are two contenders in Thursday's NZRS final
The reserve runners has Karen Walsh preparing another Harding bred and owned chaser in the up and coming Thrilling Sneak, who is the first reserve. This son of Whisky Assassin and Sly Park has delivered competitive races in the lower grades on this track however he is likely to find a few others a lot more street wise in this event. And Ron Smith, who trains He's Stunning with his sons John and Mark, has the son of Just The Best and Matilda sitting as the second reserve here. Again he looks safely held here being C2 assessed.
By Peter Fenemor