Auckland Cup at Manukau Stadium promises thrilling greyhound finale

One Hot Bandit is seen here shading Boom Dynamite in an exciting Auckland Cup heat. Photo / Rhian Farrell

Sunday’s mega Auckland Cup meeting at the Manukau Stadium is shaping as one of the best witnessed for many years, such is the in-depth quality of both Group 1 fields, with the strong support card.

The appetisers have been savoured, now it’s time for the stunning main course!

Four quality 527m heats held last Sunday has brought together an outstanding field of eight elite greyhounds to contest the $80,000 Auckland Cup final.

The Dave Fahey and Katie Wyllie training partnership has started with a bang. The New Zealand Cup title holder One Hot Bandit delivered their first training success when he set the then Addington 29.62 525m track record.

He had to be good to take out his Auckland Cup heat and he was very good when One Hot Bandit stalked the pace-making Boom Dynamite, eventually mastering him during the run home to secure his 30.38 heat win from trap-seven, the same trap from where he will race from on Sunday.

Wyllie took time out from her busy schedule to update us on their strong prospect. “His draw is a bit iffy, although I’m happy he’s on the outside of some those drawn inside him. He will have taken benefit from his heat run on the track. He’s as happy as.”

Chief Dribble has certainly developed a strong affinity with the Manukau track. Matt Roberts prepared the Mandy Haines-owned greyhound to shatter the Manukau 779m track record (46.01) when he emphatically won last season’s prized Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar.

He returned on January 16 to Manukau to land his strong 527m meet best 30.45 win. Chief Dribble then stylishly backed that up with his 30.27 Sunday Auckland Cup heat win, again the meeting best time. He will race in the TAB No 3 vest on Sunday.

“Yes, he’s really well – it’s nice to see a plan coming to fruition. He loves the track up there and he has handled himself nicely since being up there again.

“I’m happy with his draw as I believe he can take a sit on the inside going into the first turn and then perhaps capitalise on any trouble that may occur and then go from there in what is a real juicy looking final. Dan (brother) tells me he’s come through his races in good condition,” said Roberts about his charge who also produced the strongest 14.73 heat run home time.

It’s yet another father versus son Group 1 clash, as Roberts’ dad Craig has qualified two finalists. Paw Bradley travelled north after he obliterated the Addington 525m track record when recording his low-flying 29.50 gallop. He then delivered his bold Manukau track debut 30.43 heat win.

Paw Bradley was required to overcome some first-turn jostling as Roberts explains. “He very nearly didn’t make it through owing to the first turn jostling. Luckily he’s a big boy who was able to shrug off the interference. I’m very happy with him,” advised Roberts.

Kennelmate Xisco Bale was also on track debut and his free-wheeling 30.29 heat win contained plenty of merit.

“At last he showed the early pace that we know he has. Using that early speed set him up nicely and from there he just kept on rolling. Hopefully he can repeat that on Sunday,” suggested Roberts.

He then added about his draws with Xisco Bale being in trap-five and Paw Bradley in the six-trap, “I’ve given up worrying about the poor draws my dogs always seem to receive for Group 1 races. I hope that Xisco Bale pings out and can give Paw Bradley a nice drag into the first turn”.

The Roberts family are also very grateful to the Cambridge-based Peter Ferguson where Dan Roberts (plus Jack Johnson) have been located for their northern campaign, as Matt Roberts explains. “Being able to use Pete Ferguson’s kennels has been brilliant for us and we all greatly appreciate being able to base our racing teams there.”

Boom Dynamite owns early pace and we saw him using that asset when he ran the quickest heat first sectional at 4.62. His conditioner Lisa Cole will have the recent Waikato Classic winner primed to do likewise in the decider from the ace-trap.

“I’m not overly sure about his draw as he cuts down hard to the rail. Potentially he could lose a couple of lengths by doing that. Look, if he can lead the field into the first turn, then yes he can be right in it at the finish,” commented Brendon Cole.

Kennelmate More Magic is a consistent greyhound who keeps on delivering competitive races. He set the pace in his heat, then kicked on resolutely for his 1.30 length second to Chief Dribble.

“More Magic is a very capable greyhound. He’s young and competitive – just look at the 520m times he has run at his Hatrick. He got lost on the final turn in his heat and he threw away his winning chance by doing so.

“I believe he will be better for the run up there and he is drawn good in the two-trap,” explained Cole, who also confirmed that both greyhounds have come through their heat assignments in good order.

Garry “Crafty” Cleeve will line up two contenders in the final. Stuck Throttle was solid when he kicked on stoutly in his heat when dead-heating for second with the Lisa and Tracey Craik-trained Turtle Watch.

That required a ballot to be held to decide which greyhound will advance to the final, which resulted in Gaylene Turnwald drawing the marble that sent Stuck Throttle into the final from where he will be sighted wearing the pink racing vest.

Charley Horse has turned into a versatile greyhound with his biggest asset being his strength at the business end of his assignments. And that’s exactly the reason why the Cleeve-prepared Charley Horse is contesting the Auckland Cup final after having settled in the rear group, he powerfully rattled home for his 3.5 length heat second to Xisco Bale. He will be loaded away into the four-trap.

“They are different types of greyhounds. Stuck Throttle has used box-8 to his advantage before. He is equal time wise to most of the dogs in the final and he can capitalise on any possible first-turn incidents involving those inside him,” Cleeve said.

“Charley Horse tends to be slow from the traps, which can see him dropping down on to the rail and maybe take advantage of any first-turn jostling that may occur. There are a number of dogs in the field who can run home strongly – Charley Horse is one of those.

“Yes, he’s going to need luck in the running and hopefully he can pick a path through them. Both of them have pulled up good and I’m very happy with them,” confirmed Cleeve.

The first reserve is Turtle Watch for the Craiks, while Cole provides the second reserve Big Time Moose.

The Auckland Club is planning for a huge meeting, with a number of attractive support options being available at the free-entry Manukau Stadium.

A $300 Westfield Centre door prize will be won, while the popular Last One Standing picking competition returns, with the winning team picking up a $500 bonus on top of their winning dividends. Numerous giveaways will be presented by the meeting MC Tommy Thomson.

Auckland GRC chairman John Roberts is keenly anticipating Sunday’s premier meeting, saying, “Last Sunday’s heats saw outstanding racing. This Sunday is going to be a terrific afternoon of greyhound racing.

“The Auckland Cup and Railway Sprint fields are the best we’ve had for a long, long time. On top of that the support races are superb fields. We couldn’t have wished for anything better.”

Make sure you are trackside – let’s celebrate the Auckland Cup at the Manukau Stadium with the first race scheduled to be dispatched by starter Cornelia Riethmann at 1.04pm.