Sandave Sapphire, an impressive recent winner over 618m at Richmond and 600m at Albion Park, makes her 720m debut in tonight’s Ladbrokes Stayers Stakes at Wentworth Park.
The greyhound will be a short-priced favourite following a sizzling 35.59 Richmond effort and a nippy 35.39 performance in Brisbane.
“She was a certainty beaten when fourth at her most recent Albion Park 600m test and her run home times suggest she will run out a strong 720m,’’ trainer Dave Richardson said.
“I trialled her over 600m at Gosford a week ago while Space Star’s track record is 34.21, Sandave Sapphire’s time of 34.90 was outstanding for a trial morning when the track is on the slow side.
“She ran home in 12.90 at Gosford and that indicates she will stay.’’
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I don’t think I have ever seen a handler more genuinely shocked at a greyhound’s win than Kevin Keys, whose wife Margaret trains Matchstick, last Monday’s slick 30.09 maiden winner at Wentworth Park.
Matchstick led throughout to beat three rivals by five lengths in what was easily the fastest time of the night.
Her sectional times were mediocre 5.53, 14.08 and 18.29 efforts but her run home figures were 11.80, outstanding for a rookie youngster.
“She has never shown us anything remotely like that sort of ability,’’ a shocked Keys said.
“In fact if Matchstick had not won tonight I was going to suggest to Margaret that we send her back to her owner Cheryl Ghassibe.
“Cheryl’s husband John part-owns Dark Magnum, who has won six from 12 races for trainer Ken Wright.
“But until tonight Matchstick has not shown anything like Dark Magnum’s ability.
“She performance trialled in only 31.26 at Dapto on February 12 and the stewards wouldn’t pass her, but then she got the all clear when she clocked 30.65 there a week later.
“But that time was still pretty ordinary, nothing like a 30.09 Wentworth Park effort.
“If we had known she was going to run 30.09 at Wenty we would have been putting her in Sunday night’s Ladbrokes Magic Maiden heats, not in a TAB C Monday night maiden.’’
Matchstick gets her chance to prove last week’s win was no fluke when she tackles race seven at Wentworth Park tonight.
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Tiny Amy Parker, who won her second Wentworth Park 720m race last Monday night, broke in moderately but always indicated staying would be her game.
The Stuart Hazlett-trained 23.7kg bitch led throughout and clocked a nippy 42.56 last Monday despite racing in the centre of the track from start to finish.
“What would she run if she railed?’ asked Hazlett after the greyhound took her record to five wins and 10 placings from 28 starts.
“She is such a wide runner and obviously covered a lot more than 720 metres tonight because she doesn’t even get back onto the rails in the straights,’’ he said.
“Amy Parker is a litter sister to Tuavasa Shek, who won three in a row over 720m at Wentworth Park in late January and February.
“And although she didn’t show anything special when she was broken in, as a puppy Amy would run all day long in the paddock.
“She has now earned over $8000 prizemoney - not bad for a bitch which cost me only $1300 as an eight month old puppy at the Dapto auctions.
“Amy Parker is a true front running stayer because she clocked 16.35 for the first 280m in this latest win, time good enough to win a lot of short course sprints at Wenty.’’
