Postman Pat is the short-priced favourite in the Group 1 Active Electrical Christchurch New Zealand St Leger. Photo / Dave Robbie
The Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club’s Thursday meeting focuses firmly on New Zealand-bred greyhounds, with two 520m Group 1 finals to be decided, plus the feature 732m and 295m events being set aside for locally-bred chasers.
$30,000 2023 Active Electrical Christchurch New Zealand St Leger (Group 1) 520m
Postman Pat certainly wasn’t mucking around when he speared to his emphatic 29.87 520m heat win. The Tony Hart-prepared racing icon showed he had taken no ill-effects from his previous Cambridge 457m fall in the manner that he dominated his heat rivals, as seen by his 6.25 length heat win.
“I was impressed with his heat run. We trialled him a week before, where he ran 5.82 and 17.50 splits. We thought if he ran similar splits in his heat, he’ll be hard to beat – he ran 5.87 and 17.49 heat splits.
“Pat came through that run really good and he has worked great since then. The only concern we have is his draw (six). He needs clear air into the first turn and he’ll be awfully hard to beat if he gets that,” said Hart about the son of Hooked On Scotch and Birdie Tee.
The other two heats winners were presented from the powerful Dave and Jean Fahey kennels. Opawa Hugo has always displayed potential and the youngster handled his toughest career test to date with absolute aplomb. He dictated the pace to his rivals, stopping the clock in 30.07 for his 3.5 length heat victory.
“He has started running a bit wide after being a railer early on. He went pretty good in his heat, and he can run time,” said Dave Fahey about the son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Hop, who owns a slippery Addington 29.82 best 520m time. “He is our best chance,” he added about the trap-four drawn contender.
Kennelmate Let’s Party completed his heat assignment in a more ‘sedate’ 30.49. In saying that, this son of My Redeemer and Martha’s Magic displayed grit and determination in the manner that he got up to nail his 1.25 length heat win. “He’s a strong finisher who can shoot through if there’s in any trouble in the race,” advised Fahey.
The Faheys also advanced Opawa Kyle through into the final after he kicked on stoutly for his 6.75 length third to Postman Pat, while Opawa Warrior occupies the first possie on the reserves bench. He yielded late to his kennelmate Let’s Party when finishing a three-length third.
“I think Opawa Kyle will be better this week after last week’s run. His draw is okay (three) – the closer to the rail the better for him. Opawa Warrior isn’t jumping as well as he can lately. He has got early pace,” suggested Fahey, who confirmed that their quartet pulled up well following their heats.
The brothers Dan and Matt Roberts have been allocated the inside pair of traps. Dan will load away his charge Empty Garden into the ace-trap after the son of Fabregas and Rain And Tears led the vain chase after the freewheeling Postman Pat for his 6.25 length heat second.
Matt prepared Silky Adobe to finish seven lengths astern of Opawa Hugo in his heat. The son of Dyna Dave and Silky Sock will be sighted wearing the stripes.
Out at the other end of the 520m traps will be the Riley Evans duo of contenders. Goldstar Toby will hop away from Box 8 following the 3.5 length heat second behind Opawa Hugo that this son of My Bro Fabio and Frosty Action delivered.
The trap-seven drawn Goldstar Davey was sighted doing his best work at the business end of his heat, with the son of My Redeemer and Goldstar Coco finishing strongly for his 1.25 length second to Let’s Party.
$30,000 2023 Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes (Group 1) 520m
Dave and Jean Fahey were to the fore in the three heats held for the bitches, producing a pair of heat winners. Opawa Linda delivered a heady race, when after being a tad slow away, she railed underneath her heat rivals to chase the pacemaker down the back straight.
The daughter of Winsome Opawa and Opawa Abbie Joy extended strongly during the run home to comfortably book her place in the final when stopping the clock in 30 seconds even. “She went real good and I expect her to be a huge improver for the final. She is strong,” said Dave Fahey about the trap-six drawn contender.
Opawa Dragon gamely chased after the freewheeling Thrilling Hallie throughout. From there, the daughter of Barcia Bale and Dream Kay slipped through underneath her rival during the run home to snatch her 30.24 heat win.
“She should improve from her heat. Her draw (two) will help her, although she needs to be handy early on,” suggested Fahey.
Kennelmate Mrs Chinn was involved in a torrid battle for second in her heat, being denied that placing by a head by Carey Street. Fahey says about the daughter of Spring Gun and Sheza Ripper, “Hopefully she can lead out (from eight). Her draw suits her as she’s normally a reliable beginner.”
A pair of visiting greyhounds are likely huge improvers from their heats after checking out the Addington venue for the first time.
Lisa Cole qualified the highly promising daughter of SH Avatar and All About Space, Carey Street, who was sighted finishing resolutely for her 5.5 length second to Opawa Linda. She has secured the draw advantage via trap-one, which is the same trap from where she won the recent 457m $20,000 Waikato Classic.
“She should be hugely improved from her track debut. Drawing inside traps seems to draw her out better. She is a very capable bitch, who came through her heat okay,” confirmed Brendon Cole.
Thrilling Hallie was bold during her track debut outing. The northern Jamie Pruden and Sophie Whittaker-prepared daughter of Fernando Bale and Thrilling Flo quickly crossed from her eight-trap draw to set up the pace.
She galloped sweetly into the home straight, from where she was cut back by a half-length margin by Opawa Linda. A similar start from trap-seven can see her adopting those same healthy pace-making tactics.
Janine McCook would have been delighted when she produced the $60 TAB Futures quoted runner Phantom Ace to take out her heat in 30.24. It was a gutsy effort that this daughter of Southern Lights and Opawa Kim delivered, when obviously giving a fair slice of class being a C1 graded chaser.
Goldstar Rita pressed on resolutely during the run home for her half-length heat second to Phantom Ace. Trainer Riley Evans will load away the daughter of My Redeemer and Goldstar Coco into the three-trap.
Dan Roberts produced Mini Adobe to set up the heat pace, and was hauled back to finish a 1.25 length third to Phantom Ace. The daughter of Mepunga Blazer and Xava Allen will jump from Box 4.
$15,000 2023 The Homekill Guys Sockburn Cup 732m
The all-conquering stayer Know Keeper will be offered at microscopic odds to win this time- honoured staying event, especially after being allocated the one-trap. The Garry Cleeve-mentored son of Know Class and Know Jinx is the current Addington 732m track record holder (42.62).
“It always puts a smile on your face when coming up with the red,” chuckled Cleeve. “Kev’s (kennel name) work has been very pleasing,” he added about the winner of $301,483.
Kennelmate and litter brother Know Account is also all set to go. Cleeve informs us that his daughter (and raceday handler) Sydney is very happy with his three-trap draw. “I like to think that he can get a nice early spot. He’s all ready to go.”
The Dave and Jean Fahey training partnership have accepted with two stayers. Centurion has been a competitive stayer for a long time, although Dave Fahey is concerned about his eight-trap draw. “He will need luck from out there. Yes, he’s capable and he is the strongest (stayer) of our two.”
Opawa Chrissy is also generally sighted racing handy in her staying assignments. “She could lead out and she should at least be in the first four finishers, as she’s a lot race fitter now.”
Of the others, the Matt Roberts-trained Claws In Leo (My Boy Fabio – Corinth Bale) is a proven 732m stayer, having featured in strong staying events for numerous season. His latest visit to Addington was for a 645m trial with kennelmate and race rival Nighthawk Style (Cawbourne Brick – Nighthawk Rose, which saw Leo leading her home in 38.60.
Goldstar Walker (My Boy Fabio – Goldstar Marvely) is having his first look at racing over 732m for his trainer Riley Evans, while the Paul and Blake Scott prepared Locky Balboa (My Boy Fabio – Little Bit Funny) has missed in his previous two attempts over 732m.
$15,000 2023 Springston Hotel Harding Cup 295m
The depth of Kiwi-bred sprinters was clearly illustrated by the need to run six-heats to establish the final field for this feature 295m dash. Early pace was the main ingredient used for the sprinters to make it through to the final, and it’s likely to be key again in Thursday’s final.
Producing the quickest heat time was the Craig Roberts-prepared Lucas Jewel (Dyna Villa – Fimple Allen), who returned 16.94. It was a strong sprint he delivered and one that he must replicate from his tricky trap-five draw after he posted the fastest heat run home time (11.08).
Alternate Shot (Dyna Villa – Eagle Tee) has been a consistent Addington 295m sprinter for a long time and she delivered a sharp 16.96 sprint when taking out her heat for her conditioner Tony Hart. She pinged away from the seven-trap to record the quickest heat first sectional (5.81) which set up her easy heat win. She needs to repeat that when wearing the blue racing vest in the decider.
Opawa Barns (Spring Gun – Opawa Born) is a proven, sharp Addington 295m sprinter for Lisa Waretini. This season’s Galaxy Sprint finalist will return for this final after he received the judge’s call for the 18th time in his career when prevailing in his heat in 17.19. He has drawn handily enough in trap-two.
Slotting away into the trap immediately outside Opawa Barns will be the Lisa Cole-prepared Big Time Prada (Fernando Bale – Kissing Gwyneth), who will enjoy drawing outside the noted railer following her strong-finishing head heat second to Taieri Missile. She was also a Galaxy Sprint finalist.
Jason Dunn produced Trousseau (Fabregas – Fleur Du Llys) to claim the opening heat in 17.14 and he also led throughout. He has been a competitive Addington sprinter for a long time and that experience can assist him to feature from his seven-trap draw.
Ray Casey applied the finishing touches to his proven sprinter Taieri Missile (Finn McMissile – Pep’s Terra) to land his 17.17 heat win. He brings sound looking trap-one statistics into this dash, with probably his biggest challenge being to avoid any early jostling that he may face from the adjacent drawn railer.
Local conditioner Malcolm Grant qualified two finalists, with his 17.01 railing heat winner Diamond Harmony (My Boy Fabio – Cawbourne Leaha) drawing trap-six. However, Grant’s three-quarter length heat runner-up to Trousseau, Diamond Clipper (My Redeemer – Cawbourne Leaha), may very well be his strongest prospect judging by the tidy looking trap-eight stats that he has compiled.
Fannin plans to target the $200,000 Grand National Steeplechase in August.