BOGIE KING AND BOGIE MAGIC IN GAWLER CUP
Queensland trained greyhounds continue to perform well interstate.
Ryan Ayre won two heats of the group 3 Gawler Gold Cup in South Australia last Sunday.
Seasoned campaigner, dual Derby winner Bogie King (pictured) was the fastest of eight heat winners, clocking 30.41 seconds for the 531 metres course. The track record stands to Gemarly Storm at 30.19.
Ayre also won with Bogie Magic in 30.74.
Two other trainers have dual runners in this Sunday’s $25,000 to the winner final. Ray Murray won with Kalden Komoto in 30.57 and Aston Thomas in 30.80.
Peter Jovanovic won with Cousin Callum in 30.63 and Picaboon in 30.85.
Kalden Mayhem for Troy Murray stamped his claim for back to back Gawler Cup victories with a 30.57 strong finishing heat win. Mad Monza for George Cooper was a 30.89 winner at long odds.
The Gawler Cup final will be run this Sunday as race seven on the card at 7.27 p.m. SA time which is 6.57 p.m. in Queensland. The box draw is:
1 Kalden Komoto, 2 Bogie Magic, 3 Cousin Callum, 4 Kalden Mayhem, 5 Mad Monza, 6 Picaboon, 7 Bogie King, 8 Aston Thomas, Reserves: 9 Time For Fun, 10 Premier Bill.
DON’T KNOCKA HIM INTO SHOOTOUT
Queensland owned, Victorian trained Don’t Knocka Him has been selected to contest the four dog challenge known as ‘’The Macro Meats Shootout’’ at Melbourne’s Sandown Park on Thursday week.
The Reg Kay owned Jason Thompson trained dog was a strong finishing third in the group 1 Top Gun at the Meadows last Saturday night to the Graeme Bate trained pair David Bale and Desalle Bale. When trained by Kay, Don’t Knocka Him won his previous start, the group 3 Gold Coast Cup at Albion Park.
Don’t Knocka Him will line up against fellow Victorian trained sprinters Heston Bale, Odie for Now and Proven Nitro in the Shootout.
The Andrea Dailly trained Heston Bale has won 16 of his 31 starts. Odie for Now, trained by Kel Greenough, has a similar strike rate of 14 wins from 32 starts. Proven Nitro for Jason Thompson has the career record of 14 wins from 36 starts.
Don’t Knocka Him is the most experienced greyhound in the field and has a fifty percent strike rate of 23 wins from 46 starts.
The box draw for the $50,000 to the winner Shootout will be conducted at Sandown this Thursday night.
The Tony Brett trained Queenslander, unplaced Top Gun favourite Glen Gallon, is the first reserve. Stan Ralph’s Roy Galo is the second reserve.
The Shootout has an interesting history. It was first run in 1998 and from that year until 2007, an entry fee of $5,000 was payable to contest the winner takes all race.
The entry fee factor attracted some controversy. The first winner, Perth star Reggemite, beat two rivals after many connections, including those of superstar of that year Rapid Journey, wouldn’t support the concept.
Nevertheless, the race continued with an entry fee until 2007. Notable winners in that period include Go Wild Teddy, Bombastic Shiraz, Whisky Assassin and Bond, all to become highly successful stud dogs.
The entry fee was scrapped in 2008 and the $20,000 to the winner takes all event was won by National Distance champion Mantra Lad who displayed his versatility in winning the 515 metres contest, running down Queenslander Queen Lauryn.
Sandown G.R.C. racing and media manager Michael Floyd says, apart from the field of four selected plus the two reserves, greyhounds nominated for this year’s Shootout were General Deslin, Irma Bale, Premier Boloney, Spud Regis and Voltage Peak.
‘’After much discussion the club has settled on the four runners we believe will help answer the question of which greyhound is the fastest chaser in the country,’’ Floyd said.
The winner receives $50,000 and there is no place prizemoney.
Each of the 14 runnings of the Shootout has been won by a male greyhound. Four males contested the race last year with Bekim Bale beating Radley Bale, Cape Hawk and Allen Harper in that order.
Cosmic Chief scored in 2010 with So Seductive, a bitch, running fourth.
Velocette won an all male four dog race in 2009.
In 2008, Mantra Lad ran down Queen Lauryn. Third was Queenslander Made to Size, a male, ahead of One Tree Hill, a bitch who finished fourth and last.
In 2007, star bitch Betty’s Angel finished third to males Cool Effort and Shanlyn Prince.
The previous bitch to contest the event was Paua to Burn who finished second to Whisky Assassin in 2004.
The females won’t be able to win their first Shootout this year. The field of four, plus both reserves, are males.
Story by Paul Dolan, photo by Corey Pearce.
