Greyhound racing: Opawa Superstar back to defend Auckland Cup title

Opawa Superstar was the quickest Auckland Cup heat winner last Sunday. Photo credit: Peter Fenemor.

Sunday’s $80,000 Auckland Cup decider is set up to deliver a potential humdinger of a match race between a pair of potent greyhounds.

Opawa Superstar ($2.20 and $1.15 – TAB Final field) is returning to Manukau Stadium to defend the Group 1 title he so brilliantly won last season.

The son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Tab showed he is right on target to achieve that distinction after his conditioners Dave and Jean Fahey prepared him to perfection for his stunning fresh-up 527m heat victory.

Opawa Superstar resumed from a three-month spell to explode away from the six-trap, delivering a searing 4.58 second first-sectional, effectively leaving his rivals to scrap over the remaining qualifying spot/s from the second Cup heat.

The winner of $257,846 in stakes reached the back mark in a quick 15.23, from where the current New Zealand Cup title holder maintained his strong gallop to bring it home in 14.84, returning an outstanding 30.07 overall race time.

“Yes, he went pretty good – I wasn’t too sure how it would go for him being fresh-up. He’s come through his heat great and he had a real good, pleasing gallop yesterday (Tuesday).

“He hasn’t got the best of draws (5) – he needs to start quickly again,” added Dave Fahey, who, along with wife Jean, is chasing their fifth Auckland Cup training success.

The nation’s leading trainer Lisa Cole, who on Wednesday produced her 500th winner for the current season, dominates the Auckland Cup field, having qualified an unprecedented six finalists (plus both reserves).

Leading her charge is the recent Manawatu 457m track record breaker (25.21) Aston Kennett ($2.10 and $1.15). He matched the 4.58 first sectional that Opawa Superstar produced and he was just a blink of an eye slower when reaching the back mark in 15.25.

He wrapped up his performance with a 14.88 run home, resulting in his tidy 30.13 gallop. In doing he maintained his unbroken seven-race winning streak since the son of Aston Kimetto and Aston Tara crossed the Tasman, after having commenced his racing career in Victoria.

Brendon Cole informed us what he expects the narrow favourite to do from his handy trap-two draw: “He can use his good draw to advantage, therefore I expect him to race on the pace throughout. If he does so, then yes, he’ll be hard to beat.”

The other Auckland Cup heat was taken out by the promising Cole-prepared Space Boy ($21 and $3.30,) who completed his track debut assignment in 30.35, with the son of SH Avatar and the 2019 Auckland Cup finalist All About Space sighted finishing strongly.

“His lack of experience, coupled with not beginning quickly, could count against him. Don’t get me wrong – he is real strong and mistakes from others can bring him right into it,” suggested Cole.

Space Tron ($21 and $3.30) is a litter brother to Space Boy, who possesses the litter’s trademark strength, as was seen when he kicked home solidly from the midfield pack to nail his seven-length heat second to Aston Kennett.

“He is in a similar situation as his brother Space Boy and the same comment applies to him, as he’s likely to be looking for early racing luck from the seven-trap,” said Cole.

Hometown Hero ($10 and $2) gamely led home the vain chase behind the freewheeling Opawa Superstar, 8.75 lengths astern of him. This son of Aston Dee Bee and Nicki Fields certainly adds to the place puzzle this field presents, as seen by his consistent Manukau 527m form, along with his tidy trap-three stats.

“He has proven to be competitive here before and, again, he’ll have stake claims, providing he gets himself handy from the jump,” commented Cole.

Mustang Charlie ($11 and $2.10) has been a competitive chaser at the top level for a long time for Cole. He booked his final field position when he was sighted whacking away boldly for his 3.75 length third to Space Boy.

He will jump from Box 8 on Sunday, from where the son of Aston Dee Bee and Mepunga Fame has proven competitive previously, with Cole saying, “His best prospect on Sunday will be if the inside dogs jam up, allowing him to swoop around the outside of them from out there.”

Allegro Warrior ($26 and $3.80) completes the Cole drawn representation. He was solid when the son of Bigtime Paddy and Allegro Lass was sighted pressing on stoutly for his eight-length third behind Aston Kennett. “He will need a tremendous amount of luck from his draw (6),” explained Cole.

Both of the Cole prepared reserves look better placed in respective 527m support races. Manila Raw draws Box 8 in Race 9, while second reserve Big Time Blazer is an exciting youngster who has drawn perfectly in the one-trap for his assignment (Race 8).

Canterbury trainer Craig Roberts wasn’t confident about advancing his charge Carlos Jewel ($16 and $2.70) to the decider, after the railing son of Dyna Villa and Fimple Allen was required to hop away from the eight-trap in his heat.

It was a huge effort by him to make the all-male grand final line-up, when he was seen finishing strongly along the rail when chasing home Space Boy, 2.25 lengths astern of him. Being allocated the ace-trap to step away from on Sunday enhances his podium claims.

“He was really good in his heat – to come from where he was on the first turn was massive by him. I expect improvement from him and he’ll be happy to sit on the rail, then bring it home strongly. He travelled great,” advised Roberts.

Super 527m Support Races

Both of the two $9,000 open-class 527m undercard races contain a liberal sprinkling of Auckland Cup heat contenders.

The Delys Van Meeuwen Memorial Trophy (Race 9) has five-Cole mentored contenders, with Blazin’ Master coming up trumps after being allocated the one-trap.

“He didn’t have any luck in his Cup heat. Having that experience from that race, plus his improved draw, makes him a strong prospect in this race,” stated Cole.

“Manila Raw has swooping claims from out there (8). Federal Aussie is nicely drawn (2), although the 527m is right at the top end of his range. Big Time Roman has won up there before (30.54), while Big Time Reward faces a steep rise in class for his track debut,” outlined Cole.

Quintessa Bale was contained in the midfield pack during her Auckland Cup heat outing.

“To be blunt, I felt she was disappointing in her Cup heat. She is a potential improver and she travelled good,” said her mentor Craig Roberts.

It was during the 2008 Auckland Cup series when the Dave and Jean Fahey-mentored Winsome Ashley set the Manukau track alight when in her Cup heat she set the 527m track record at 29.81. Seven days later, she came out to reset the record, which still stands today, via her searing 29.77 Auckland Cup gallop.

Big Time Blazer peaked late on her gallop in her Cup heat after racing handy to the pace and she receives an improved draw via the one-trap. Kennelmate Lar Grand Oaks will have to break quickly from her five-trap draw.

The Group 2 457m winning Carey Street was luckless in her Cup heat, while her promising litter sister Inner Space warmed up for this task when delivering her Manawatu second in a quickly run Wednesday 660m event. She won in a swift 25.41 over 457m at the same venue prior to that.

Drawing closer to the rail (3) is likely to aid the talented Dave and Jean Fahey-trained Opawa Linda, after she received few racing favours in her track debut Cup heat.

There will be strong local support in this event for the Sean Codlin-mentored Sweet Potential. She has prepared for this task by delivering a pair of effortless 318m wins. She is a proven and competitive chaser over the 527m (30.43) trip.

The exciting young Fahey-prepared Opawa Hugo is making his track debut in a strong looking C3 527m Mt Wellington TAB field (Race 6). The smart last start Group 1 NZ St Leger 29.79 Addington 520m winner is resuming from a spell as the winner of nine from his 13 career races.

“He has come back good from his spell. His main aim this time around is the NZ Derby,” confirmed Dave Fahey.

Numbered amongst his rivals is Wednesday’s impressive Manawatu 37.97 660m winner Big Time Epic for Lisa Cole, while the in-form training partners Jared Udy and Denise Cottam prepare Thrilling Nash, who is likely to enjoy racing from the one-trap.