Underdogs get their chance to be top greyhound

A number of greyhounds who struggle, or in other words, tend to make up numbers in open class fields receive their opportunity to shine in the two main events during Friday's Hatrick meeting.

There are around 16 greyhounds who can be termed normal Friday evening participants who will head up to the Manukau Stadium on Sunday to contest the Group 1 heats for either the $88,000 Auckland Cup (527m) or the $28,000 Railway Sprint (318m).

Despite being heavily represented in Auckland, both of this evening's open class 520m and 305m fields contains a fair sprinkling of greyhounds from the powerful Lisa Cole kennels.

Incidentally, another three Cole-trained winners during Wednesday's Hatrick meeting lifted Cole's tally of training successes for the current season up to a remarkable 494 winners ($1,191,952 in stakes).

Bigtime Caleb is a greyhound who can capitalise on the absence of the 'guns' to claim the main Race 10, 520m event.

Kennelmates Bigtime Vanessa and Bigtime Bell are both resuming from a spell and competitive fresh up races from these girls certainly wouldn't surprise.

Others to consider as possible post race podium attendees are the inside drawn pair of Bigtime Ottey and Bigtime Rise.

The open class sprinters contest their 305m dash in Race 5.

Bigtime Blackie has drawn to swoop on her rivals from the eight trap. Likely to push forward with her is Bigtime Ella.

Bigtime Sugar was a stylish Manawatu 375m winner on Monday and he is capable of making his presence felt again.

Securing the draw advantage for this dash is Bear Inda Square.

Leading qualifying prospects from the local region in the Auckland Cup heats includes Me Jane and last Friday's Hatrick nose 520m winner Quistis Bale in the first heat (Race 8).

The second heat (Race 10) contains the NZ Cup title holder Nature's Gent, along with No Time Toulouse and the promising Bigtime Lily.

Heat three (Race 10) features the presence of Bigtime Paddy, who went under by that nose margin last Friday.

Monday's strong 457m winner Bigtime Levi will contest the final heat (Race 11).

Popular local greyhound identity Brian Marsh was elected as the new Wanganui GRC President during a special AGM held at the Hatrick Raceway on Tuesday.

Marsh easily won in a three way ballot defeating the incumbent Bill Hodgson and the current Palmerston North GRC President Paul Freeman.