Group night of racing at Cambridge on Thursday

Logger For Life is a winning hope in the Group 2 Waikato Classic on Thursday night.

By Peter Fenemor

The highlight for Thursday’s Waikato Club’s premier meeting is the $20,000 Waikato Classic Final. Two 457m heats held last Thursday finalised the Group 2 Waikato Classic field. with visiting greyhounds dominating both heats with only a blink of an eyelid separating the two track debuting heat winners in time.

Wanganui trainer Glen Hodgson has always maintained that his charge Logger For Life is a worthy middle distance Group race contender. The recent Group 2 305m winner confirmed that potential when delivering his on-the-pace 25.67 heat win.

Jumping from trap-3 in the decider should provide the open-class graded chaser with every opportunity of being able to replicate those same handy-to-the-pace tactics.

Garry Cleeve is making the long return trek north with his 25.68 heat winner. Who’s Jealous. He was sighted doing his best work at the business end of his heat when running home in 6.96. He’s a likely improver and drawing out in the seven-trap shouldn’t overly faze him, as he wore the green racing vest in his heat.

The potent Lisa Cole kennels are retuning with four finalists, including Writ Large who is the only Australian-bred chaser in the final. She has raced twice since crossing the Tasman, both occasions being at Cambridge.

She won first-up in a C2 375m dash in a sharp 20.99, then set up the pace prior to being nailed late by Who’s Jealous by a head margin in her heat. Being allocated the ace-trap to exit from is likely to see her again attending the early pace.

Kennelmate Icy Hope finished resolutely for her heat neck second to Logger For Life, which certainly illustrates the evenness of this field as seen by her 25.62 457m PB at this venue. She’s another who is likely to be sighted vying for the early pace from trap-two.

Brighton Wave is considered as a strong New Zealand Derby prospect by the Cole kennel and the only other C5 assessed runner in this field was bold when overcoming buffering in his heat for his 3.8 length heat fourth placing behind Who’s Jealous. He will be loaded away into the five-trap for the first time in his 17-race career.

Wild Zambora completes the Cole representation in this event. He may only be currently graded as a C1 chaser; however, his potential was there for everyone to see with his pair of quick 25.63 457m and 30.04 520m maiden victories.

The half-brother to the multiple Group race winner Space Boy has certainly inherited the family ability, and he was just a neck and a head away from Logger For Life in his heat in what was his first look at the Cambridge venue.

Smoking Ivan raced in the midfield for his Canterbury conditioner Matt Roberts, from where he pressed on stoutly for his 2.2 length heat fourth to Logger For Life. He needs to quickly push forward from his trap-four draw in this final.

Thrilling Dozer is the only locally mentored greyhound in this field; however, his overall race claims certainly cannot be dismissed. His conditioners Jamie Pruden and Sophie Whittaker have produced him for four previous wins at this track, with his best 457m clock being 25.91. He is provided with swooping claims from his first career trap-eight draw.

The Group 2 Waikato Classic Final is Race 10 at 7:44pm on Thursday night.