New South Wales sprinter Exclusive One has firmed into favouritism for tomorrow night’s Tattsbet National Sprint Championship final to be run in Hobart.
After being the $3.00 equal favourite earlier this week with Victorian dog Fabregas, Exclusive One is now into $2.70 with Tattsbet fixed odds.
Exclusive One took out the New South Wales state final, run at Bulli. David Righetti’s winner of ten from 13 starts holds the Bulli track record for 472 metres.
If Fabregas can win the 461 metres National Sprint final, 23 years old David Hirst will become the youngest trainer to win a National Championship.
Tony Brett is flying to Hobart today with Queensland runner Glen Gallon who scored by a nose in the state final at Albion Park, beating Knocka Down. On the same flight is Bruce Linnan with Queensland’s National Distance representative Tarlie’s Angel.
Brett took Glen Gallon to Hobart ten days ago for a trial and the dog handled the spacious track and the cold conditions with no problems. Tarlie’s Angel trialled the same night over 599 metres, posting a moderate time.
Glen Gallon is priced at $6.50 to win the National Sprint final which is timed for 6.28 p.m. tomorrow night.
Western Australian superstar Miata remains a long odds on favourite to win the Wrest Point Casino National Distance Championship final over 709 metres. The race goes at 7.25 p.m. From $1.35 early in the week, Miata is quoted at $1.40 with Tattbet.
Queensland’s Tarlie’s Angel has drifted from an early $71 quote to be the $126 outsider. She was a $10 chance when she defeated Finn’s Express in the state final at Albion Park.
In a quirky twist, had Finn’s Express won that state final, she would have been scratched from tomorrow night’s grand final because she has come on season. Had that occurred, the first reserve, Tasmania’s Beaudine, would have moved into the field.
Every interstate greyhound contesting the two finals tomorrow night has trialled on the Hobart track except for New South Wales Distance Championship representative He Knows Uno.
Trainer Michael Patterson stated shortly after the dog’s devastating win in the state final at Bulli that it was never his intention to trial He Knows Uno at Hobart.
He Knows Uno is the $6 second favourite behind Miata.
Victory in tomorrow night’s $75,000 to the winner group one final would take He Knows Uno’s earnings past the magical half million dollar mark. He currently is number 13 on Australia’s all time prizemoney list with $436,364. He would leapfrog several greyhounds into 7th position by winning tomorrow.
Miata’s prizemoney stands at $331,693. She is number 25 on the list of highest earners. If she justifies her short quote by winning tomorrow night, her prizemoney of $406,693 would catapult her to number 15 on the list. She would move past the likes of household names such as Brett Lee ($405,106) Tenthill Doll ($382,660) and Queenslander Flying Amy ($354,105).
Australia’s highest prizemoney winner is the aptly named High Earner. The Queensland bred dog who started his career in this state with David and Christine Robartson before being sent to Melbourne to be trained by Kel Greenough collected $610,070 during a fabulous career stretching from December 2008 until April last year.
At Albion Park last night, the quadrella on Tattsbet paid a massive dividend of $20,020.60 for a one dollar ticket.
Fuelled by a jackpot starting amount of $10,000, the pool grew to $54,055.
Patricia Carrington’s Mist Opportunity (pictured) won the first leg at odds of $25.70 from box five. Then followed High Riser from box two for Pam Field at $3.80, Kieth Anderson’s Sudoku Glider from box eight at $9.20 and Ray Burman’s Smart Babe from box eight at $21.20.
In the last leg, the biggest quadrella dividend would have been $35,100 for Arch Nemesis. He loomed as a big winning chance in the home straight and was only beaten three quarters of a length by Smart Babe.
Trainer Peter O’Reilly from Yamanto near Ipswich had a mixed night.
The owner of a well known Pet Foods business had Pedro’s First win race two, a 520 metres novice event.
Later in the night, O’Reilly’s Tallow Beach was drawn as the trainers’ jackpot runner of the programme. She would have earned an extra $1,000 for O’Reilly with a win but went down narrowly to Greg Cannon’s long priced winner Babe Watch.
Story by Paul Dolan, photo by Corey Pearce.
