More than half the field for this Saturday's Sportingbet Paws Of Thunder final are a strong winning chance following the box draw.
Eight sensational heats of the Paws Of Thunder were staged at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, with only the winner from each qualifying for the $100,000-to-the-winner final.
However, National Time has been scratched due to acidosis and Punch One Out now goes into the field.
The box draw for the Paws Of Thunder final is: 1. Veyron Bale 2. Manyana Groper 3. Double Twist 4. Buckle Up Wes 5. Allen Malik 6. Iona Seven 7. National Time 8. Boyce Road 9. Punch One Out 10. Peter Rocket
Given the box draw, Double Twist, Buckle Up Wes, Punch One Out, Boyce Road and Veyron Bale look the main winning chances.
Double Twist’s trainer Garry Edwards, hospitalised on Monday with acute food poisoning, climbed out of a sick bed to handle his chaser for her ninth Wentworth Park win.
Double Twist continues to begin well but is showing greater early dash these days and she ran home in a near record 11.52 on her way to her 29.56 heat win.
Tasmania’s Buckle Up Wes posted a near record first split of 5.33 before leading throughout to win his heat in 29.65 and he looks the pacemaker despite drawing box four.
Owner Eddie Kingswell has always wanted to see Boyce Road in box eight and the dog showed good early track sense before going fast out wide in the middle stages to win his heat in 29.69.
After the draw though Eddie was not so sure.
"In this hot field it is hard to predict where Boyce Road will find himself from the outside draw when he hits the first turn."
Meanwhile, Victoria’s Veyron Bale notched his fourth win in eight Sydney outings when he led throughout to set the time standard for the heats at 29.50.
Veyron Bale used a bit of the track but is still well drawn in box one and while his first section of 5.42 was well below that of Buckle Up Wes, his second split of 13.76 was fastest of the finalists. Only Pierino (13.66) and Ferly Reign (13.68), who both did not qualify, went quicker.
Of course Punch One Out will now be extremely hard to beat especially if she jumps from box seven, which appears likely.
Iona Seven and Allen Malik have drawn poorly although Iona Seven’s brilliant early speed gives her some hope.
Iona Seven’s Sydney owner Frank Sidrak remained optimistic for the final despite his greyhound's box six draw.
"Her trainer Robbie Britton told me she trialled brilliantly at Geelong before the heats and to run around Punch One Out going through the pen to lead on the back straight in her heat was a super effort," Frank said.
But Robbie Britton cautioned Frank.
"There are no positives about having box six in a Group 1 final," he said.
It is hard to see National Time or Manyana Groper winning, although while the latter will be the bolter of the field he is desperate for an inside alley so cannot be ruled out completely.
At this stage I am tossing up between Double Twist and Buckle Up Wes.
It was big night for Robbie Britton with Victoria’s master trainer of stayers winning both Summer Distance Plate heats with Lucy Wires in a near record 41.82 and Born Ali in 42.35.
Lucy Wires stunned the crowd by leading throughout and record a time that was only 0.01sec outside Miata’s 720m track record.
After the race, her handler Peter Riley said: "She has led three times recently but they were all from boxes one and two. But her heat win was only her 24th start so maybe she is learning."
Unfortunately for connections Lucy Wires has drawn box five in Saturday night’s final with Born Ali getting box eight.
"I would have preferred an inside draw with Born Ali," Robbie said.
Smart Valentino’s trainer Mark Swift was delighted with his dog’s box two draw.
"I was really pleased with his second to Lucy Wires because although he was beaten just over six lengths he would have finished closer had he not climbed all over the back of Destini Fireball at the top of the straight.
"I don’t know what he was thinking when he did that.
"Realistically if Lucy Wires had drawn box one or maybe two we probably couldn’t have beaten her but with her in five and Smart Valentino in box two we have a strong chance."
Three fabulous runs from the beaten division in the eight Paws Of Thunder heats came from NSW trio Evil Punk (second to Double Twist), Evoked (second to National Time) and Brooklyn Drive (third to Allen Malik).
Evil Punk was having his first race for nine weeks, Evoked was baulked by wide running Woods at the first turn, and Brooklyn Drive stumbled at box rise before running out and colliding, coming from fifth on the back straight.
See you next week!
