Greyhound racing: New Zealand Cup Series gets underway on Thursday

Dalisha Bale caused an enormous upset in winning last year's New Zealand Cup. Photo / Dave Robbie

Christchurch becomes the primary focus of New Zealand racing action over the next three weeks, culminating in the second week of November with the running of the New Zealand Cup for all three racing codes.

The greyhound action kicks off at Addington Raceway this Thursday and Friday, with heats for two of the three Group 1 races that will be decided during New Zealand's richest greyhound meeting on Thursday November 10.

Six cracking 520m heats this Thursday will see 32 greyhounds advance to the four semifinals next Wednesday for the $100,000 Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup.

Competition will be keen, with the first five runners in each heat being joined by the fastest two sixth placegetters for the semifinal round. Here's a look at some of the leading heat contenders.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 1, Race 4

Frequent NZ Cup-winning trainers Dave and Jean Fahey have aimed serious kennel firepower at the series in a bid to annex their 10th NZ Cup training success. First up, will be the talented Gitan, who owns a serious 29.59 520m PB, and having delivered a pair of sub-30 second Addington 520m wins since he resumed from a let-up.

Craig Roberts has also enjoyed previous NZ Cup training success and he presents last season's $41.60 upset NZ Cup winner Dalisha Bale in this heat. It has taken 25 races for kennelmate Quintessa Bale to secure the one-trap. She will carry the red vest in this heat after having won all four of her trap-two races.

Speedy Sue, who owns winning Addington 520m form, treks up from the deep south with her conditioner Brett Conner.

Northern prepared greyhounds occupy the outside two traps in the opening heat. Both of them will making their Addington track debut.

The Lisa Cole-trained Hometown Hero blemished his unbeaten Kiwi record, when he yielded late to kennelmate Mustang Charlie in Friday's Manawatu open-class 457m event. He impressed when delivering his prior six wins, including a recent feature 457m victory over Opawa Superstar.

Dual code industry participant Peter Ferguson will load away Chase Me Down into the eight-trap. He was sound when chasing home his in-form kennelmate Majestic Legend in his last start Manukau 527m outing.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 2, Race 5

Opawa Dragon has quickly charged through the grades for the Faheys, winning 13 of his 18 races to date. He holds a 29.90 520m best time and has drawn handily in trap two.

Uri Bale is likely to enjoy his one-trap draw here for Roberts, while kennelmate Carlos Jewel is another sub-30-second performer around this circuit.

The Tony Hart kennels are currently firing on all cylinders and he has returned Penalty Drop into form via his recent solid Ascot Park 457m efforts.

The northern Ferguson-mentored Majestic Legend adds the intrigue factor into this heat. He impressed when delivering his strong recent Manukau 527m wins and drawing out in the eight-trap shouldn't inconvenience him, judging by his sound-looking wide trap statistics.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 3, Race 6

The early pace is likely to be hot in this heat, when considering the free-flowing racing styles of a number of the contenders.

The heat features the presence of the high-flying Federal Infrared. She travels south for Lisa Cole following her recent dominant Manawatu Cup 457m victory. More importantly, she has raced at Addington, winning her 520m track debut in 30.24.

Sisters Lisa and Tracey Craik venture south from their Drury training base with the sharp chaser, Georgia's Girl. She has been flying over the Cambridge 375m and 457m trips and her advancement claims certainly cannot be dismissed, despite making her track debut.

Speaking about early pace, Opawa Warrior has drawn to jump straight onto the pace from the two-trap for the Faheys. The owner of a 30.02 520m PB warmed up for this assignment when he was cut back by the NZ debutante runner Rohan Bale in Friday's C3/4 520m race, after setting the pace.

Roberts will load away Bahati Bale into the ace trap, after he was also caught late in Thursday's open-class 520m event. He brings a 30.03s 520m best time to the race, as does his kennelmate, Zipping Tracker.

Adding to the depth of talent in this heat is the presence of Best Ball for Tony Hart, while Goldstar Carlito is presented with swooping claims from trap-eight for Riley Evans.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 4, Race 7

Opawa Superstar, the NZ Middle Distance Greyhound of the Year, commences his campaign from Box 8 in this heat for the Faheys. He resumed from a spell when delivering a bold second in a recent Manawatu feature 457m event. He finished third in last year's NZ Cup Final.

Hart prepared Charlotte Lu to stylishly win the last edition of the NZ Oaks at this venue and she warmed up for this task when delivering her effortless last start pace-making Ascot Park 26.25 457m win.

Roberts is again active in this heat with another two representatives. His leading prospect here is the impressive import Zipping Chassis, who has rocketed up the grades, winning seven of his last eight starts.

Adding intrigue to this heat is the presence of the Gary and Sandra Fredrickson-trained Kaw Liga off Box 1. He controlled the pace through when landing his recent 25.64 Manawatu C4 457m win.

Cole will present Easy Does It for his track debut outing from the five-trap. He was sound when delivering his Friday Manawatu 457m third behind a pair of his sharp kennelmates.

Diamond Warrior was given a month freshen-up by local conditioner Malcolm Grant after his last start traffic-impeded C4 520m outing here.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 5, Race 8

The "Prince of Palmy", Mustang Charlie, ventures south for Cole following Friday's 25.85 457m Manawatu open-class victory. He is currently flying on his home track, and he has previously won at Addington over 520m Addington (30.35) and placed there on an additional four occasions over the trip.

Local trainer Bruce Dann has his charge Opawa Conan peaking nicely for this series, as seen by his tidy 30.20 Thursday C5 win here. He is a proven chaser around this circuit, headlined by his handy 29.95 best 520m clock.

The Roberts charge continues in this heat, with a great deal of interest centering around his Rohan Bale, who won his New Zealand debut on Friday in 30.18. Strength is the main asset that this former Victorian brings across the Tasman and he won his only previous race from trap-eight.

Kennelmate Naya Bale is a nine-time Addington 520m winner, with his best being delivered in a smart 29.79. He is race fit and match-hardened following his recent 660m and 645m assignments.

Goldstar Gigi is another who is a regular Addington attendee for Evans, and he kicked on stoutly for his Thursday open-class fourth here.

Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup – Heat 6, Race 9

The sharp Talbingo Bale is the fourth Roberts-trained heat contender to be allocated the ace-trap to hop away from. He owns the astounding stat of delivering 11 sub-second winning 520m Addington times led his slick 29.65 best time.

Roberts has unloaded his kennels for this series with Oberon Bale and the NZ debut runner Zipping Ontario wrapping up his 13-dog assault on the NZ Cup heats.

Opawa Barrel attained his open-class chasing stripes for the Faheys, when he scampered to his Thursday 30.05 C3/4 520m win. He will be sighted in the pink racing vest here for the first time in his career.

Allegro Mars rounds off the Cole heat contenders. His bold second to his hot kennelmate over 527m at Manukau five races ago is a strong pointer to his qualifying prospects here, despite having three previous misses around this venue. Kennelmate Bold Mayo makes his track debut here.

Janine McCook has to wait until the last NZ Cup heat to join the heat action via her charge Epic Cruise. He was solid when he chased home Opawa Barrel for his Thursday 1.75 length 520m second.