Stepping down to step up at Hatrick

The open class 520m greyhounds are missing from action during this evening's Hatrick meeting owing to the $6,000 Manawatu Cup being decided in Palmerston North on Monday.

Former open class greyhounds are poised to dominate the main 520m event which contains a field of C3/4 assessed chasers (Race 10, 8.44pm).

Three of those engaged in this race bring Group 1 racing experience into it.
Included is our Gypsy, from the strong Lisa Ahern kennels, who is likely to enjoy the drop back in class she receives here.

In saying that, she must step away smartly from trap-six and seize the early race lead.

She can lead her rivals throughout by doing so.

Matt Roberts has a pair of chasers accepted here who were involved in Group 1 finals last season.

Both Cawbourne Cooks and Cawbourne Clover are much better greyhounds than what their current form indicates.

They are more than capable of being able to feature here, especially Cawbourne Clover who secures the draw advantage via the one-trap here.

Another from the Roberts kennel, Cawbourne Gunna is a chaser on the rise and she can illustrate that point from the handy trap-two draw she has been allocated.

Local trainer Suzie Kite will be looking for her charge Making Time to push forward during the early rush for positions.

It is a tactic that she must employ.

So how do Group race capable greyhounds find themselves back down in the grades?

The greyhound downgrading system provides an opportunity for greyhounds to remain competitive when mainly reaching their mark up in the grades.

Bad racing luck can also be a contributing factor to dropping back.

Three consecutive misses within the same grade sees the chaser involved dropping back a class.

The exception to this rule comes when greyhounds contest races with restrictions placed on them - for example, races that has an age or breeding (like Kiwi bred only) conditions placed on them do not count for downgrading purposes regardless of what position he or she finishes in.

The same criteria is used the other way - if a greyhounds wins a special conditioned event, then then he/she remains in the grade where they were assessed at prior to the race involved.