Nominations have closed for
greyhound racing’s National Sprint and Distance Championships.
Heats
and state finals will be held around the country from Thursday of next week to
determine runners in the group 1 grand finals at Hobart’s
Tattersall’s Park on Saturday, August 25.
In
Queensland, there are 24
nominations for the sprint heats and 16 for the distance series at Albion
Park on Thursday night, August 2.
Final acceptors are due next Monday and numbers then will determine how many
heats will be run.
Six
of the 24 sprint nominations line up in the ‘’Best Eight’’ over 520 metres at Albion
Park tomorrow night. They are Tough
As, Bellagio Lad, Cakes and Pies, Red Rocket, Sobbing Destiny and Miss Cody.
Early
favourite to represent Queensland in the sprint in Hobart, Tony Brett’s Glen Gallon, races at
Dapto tomorrow night from box two in the $40,000 to the winner Megastar Stake
over 508 metres.
Five of the 16
entered for the staying series at Albion
Park will run in the President’s
Cup over 710 metres there tomorrow night. They are Finn’s Express, Mocka
Shocker, Lady Tycoon, Ba Bling and Fashion Flyer.
In
New South Wales, heats will be
run on the spacious Bulli track on Monday night, August 6. GRNSW switched the
heats from the city track of Wentworth
Park to Bulli because Bulli and
Hobart are very similar shaped circuits. There are 32 entries for the sprint
heats over 472 metres and 19 for the distance heats over 701 metres.
In
Victoria, the National Sprint
heats will be run at Sandown on Thursday, August 2. 49 entries have been
received. Hall of Fame trainer Graeme Bate has 15 entered.
The
Victorian heats of the National Distance Championship will be run at the
Meadows on Saturday, August 4. There are 17 nominations. Victorian trained
greyhounds won the National Distance Championship grand final from 2007 to 2009
before playing second fiddle to New South Wales
stayer Blue Lorian in 2010 and Queensland’s
Dashing Corsair (pictured) last year.
In
South Australia, there are 32
entries for the sprint and 16 for the distance. Heats are at Angle
Park on Thursday, August 2.
Perth’s
heats will be on Saturday, August 4. There are 37 entries for the sprint and 18
for the distance.
Host
state Tasmania is likely to have
around five heats for the sprint series and two for the distance. Entries
received are 43 and 17 respectively.
Last
year’s championships were run at Albion
Park, with hometown victories in
the grand finals to Metz magic for
Ron Ball and Dashing Corsair for Dwyer Lennon.
For
the grand finals in Hobart this
year, there will be one runner from Queensland,
New South Wales, Victoria,
South Australia and Western Australia.The
host state Tasmania will provide
two runners. The remaining spot to fill up the fields of eight will go to the
highest AGRA rated greyhound to
contest a state final.
The
Northern Territory has not
competed in the Nationals since 1996 when the Darwin
club decided to withdraw. Runners representing the Northern
Territory had always struggled to be competitive at
group level away from Darwin.
Story by Paul Dolan, photo by Corey
Pearce.
