Spacecraft’s owner-trainer Lorraine Atchison was left in a pleasant dilemma after her greyhound’s best of the night 29.73 win at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Spacecraft completely routed his fourth and fifth grade rivals with a 10 length drubbing, posting figures that were 0.14 faster than Ritza Hattie’s time in the meeting’s top grade 520m event.
Atchison must now decide whether to nominate Spacecraft for the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg heats on March 21 or the heats of the Group 3 New Sensation 24 hours earlier.
"I’ll have to have a look at the situation this week because until now I had not really thought about it," Atchison said after Spacecraft’s impressive victory.
The Golden Easter Egg, with $250,000 to the April 4 final winner, is NSW’s richest race, but the New Sensation, for greyhounds whelped on or after November 14, 2012, is a $25,000 to the winner event on the same night.
Victorian trainer Jimmy Auld famously by-passed the Golden Easter Egg last year to opt for the easier New Sensation and while his dog Hooksey won the minor race, many thought he could have taken out the far richer event.
Nominations for the Golden Easter Egg and New Sensation close on Thursday and Friday this week respectively.
Spacecraft went into Saturday night’s race with just a single win in six Wentworth Park races but Atchison said the dog had always had the ability to produce sizzling time.
"He trialled 29.80 at Wentworth Park when he recorded a first split of 5.35 so when he clocked 5.38, 13.75 and 17.84 tonight I wasn’t surprised," Atchison said.
Ritza Hattie, the 2013 Sandown Laurels winner, bounced back to form as predicted by trainer Mark Gatt to score her eighth win in 22 Wentworth Park appearances on Saturday night.
The durable sprinter, who turned three in November, clocked figures which were 0.40 wide of her personal best Wentworth Park time but she trounced a smart lineup by just on four lengths.
Wentworth Park fans got their first glimpse of Victorian star Azza Azza Azza on Saturday night when the dog trialled in preparation for his Easter Egg campaign.
But Azza Azza Azza shocked racegoers by taking a mediocre 30.31 to cover the 520m in his solo hit-out.
The run however was far better than it looked on paper as the dog almost fell soon after leaving the starting boxes.
The mishap was so serious Azza Azza Azza took a pedestrian 5.74 for his first split, picking up the tempo to clock 14.08 and 18.24 for the second and third sections.
Meanwhile Whittaker’s Golden Easter Egg campaign is in disarray after the dog had to be scratched from his engagement at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Whittaker was scheduled to chase his sixth win in 11 Wentworth Park starts in the Ladbrokes Sprint Series final but had to miss the race with a tendon injury.
"The tendon is not torn but there a lump on his back leg where Whittaker has hurt it," owner-trainer Julie Fletcher said.
"It is now going to be touch and go whether I can have him right in time for the Easter Egg heats."
Meanwhile, a better start enabled Paua Explosion to take out Saturday night’s Rapidvite 2-5 Wins Series heat in a slick 30.00.
Paua Explosion had bungled the start when third from a seemingly ideal box eight draw at Wentworth Park on February 20 but was on her best behaviour despite drawing box four on Saturday.
"I don’t think she can hear the lure coming when she draws box seven or eight," trainer Steve White said on Saturday.
"She always seems to miss the jump when she draws out wide, which should suit her, and it was pleasing to see her nail the start tonight."
See you next week!
