Fastest heat winner Quick Succession faces a formidable task in next Saturday night’s Group 3 Evans & Son Jewellers Ladies Bracelet at Wentworth Park after she drew box seven for the final.
Quick Succession, prepared by all-conquering Victorian trainer Darren McDonald, began brilliantly to win her heat last Saturday in 29.80, staving off an early challenge from Chica Destacada and then withstanding a late burst from Irondale Bravo.
In her heat Quick Succession posted splits of 5.39, 13.97 and 17.94 after railing keenly from box two.
But she has come up with box seven in the final, the crucial draw favouring Mark Gatt’s Ritza Hattie (one) and Jason Mackay’s pair ZIPPING Summah (two) and ZIPPING Willow (three).
Ritza Hattie ran down ZIPPING Summah to win her heat in 29.87sec, but the latter had recorded sensational second and third splits of 13.62 and 17.79 after the winner had clocked 5.35 to the first mark.
ZIPPING Willow staged an amazing performance to win her heat in 29.96, coming from seventh at box rise and colliding soon after the start to take the lead on the home turn after being third in the middle stages.
Her win prompted successful punter and keen judge Darren Azzopardi to remark: "That was the run of the year."
The Neil Falk-trained Smashing Sally also broke the 30 second barrier after defeating Queenslander Rose Of Galo in the other heat, clocking 29.97.
Ritza Hattie’s trainer Mark Gatt concedes ZIPPING Summah, which his bitch defeated by three-quarters of a length, would be hard to beat in the final.
“My bitch had a bit of match fitness on ZIPPING Summah tonight and Jason’s greyhound will probably be improved by the run," Mark said after the heats.
Jason Mackay was also upbeat about ZIPPING Summah’s performance, pointing out that the bitch was having her first start in five months after being sidelined with a split hip support muscle.
"ZIPPING Summah had been trialling extra well before the heats but the hard run in an actual race will do her the world of good," Jason said.
"I was especially rapt in the fact that she ran a second sectional time of 13.62, which is flying."
Queensland has not provided a Bracelet winner since Fools State in 2004 but Rose Of Galo has good early speed and is ideally drawn in the final in box eight.
The box draw for the Ladies Bracelet is: 1. Ritza Hattie 2. ZIPPING Summah 3. ZIPPING Willow 4. Smashing Sally 5. Irondale Bravo 6. Lacey Lois 7. Quick Succession 8. Rose Of Galo 9. Chica Destacada 10. Magic Display
Rosey Gardens’ impressive win in Saturday night’s 720m Schweppes Distance Challenge, continued an astonishing sequence of success by Caves Beach trainer Brian Mitchell.
Brian, who has only Rosey Gardens and Tinkabella Rose in training, has now had six wins and a third with his past seven starters.
"That’s not too bad for a small kennel is it?" Brian quipped after Rosey Gardens’ win.
"Rosey Gardens was short of a 720 metre run when she finished third to Avondale Maurick in her heat at Wentworth Park nine days before the final and I told owner Lorraine Atchison I expected her to win the final."
Rosey Gardens is the first greyhound Mitchell has trained for successful breeder Lorraine Atchison, who also owns Tinkabella Rose, due to make her debut at Wentworth Park shortly.
While the Ladies Bracelet heats highlighted Saturday night’s Wentworth Park card, honours for fastest time of the night were clearly with the Frank Hurst-trained Zambora Magic, who led throughout to win a fifth grade 520m event in 29.55.
Zambora Magic had bungled the start when second to Victoria’s Musquin Bale on Golden Easter Egg night but timed box rise to near perfection on Saturday before being chased all the way by Waymore’s Blues.
Saturday’s meeting concluded a big 48 hours for Thirlmere trainer Mark Gatt who won a double at Wentworth Park on Friday night with Ritza Raider and Mexico City and scored on Saturday with Ritza Hattie and Freddy Diesel.
Anthony Azzopardi raced at Richmond on Saturday but the Londonderry trainer also landed a double at Wentworth Park on Friday with Ready To Riot and My Boy Snoop.
Anthony’s pair recorded the fastest times on Friday’s program, clocking 29.71 and 29.78 respectively.
See you next week!
