Kihael Kaluna, the first venture into greyhound racing by Australian Bloodstock, owners of the 2014 Melbourne Cup thoroughbred winner Protectionist, goes into Saturday night's Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic final at Wentworth Park as fastest qualifier.
The Mark Gatt-trained greyhound (pictured) began brilliantly and after setting up a big lead just lasted to defeat the luckless Zambora Brockie by a nose in last Saturday's second semi-final.
Kihael Kaluna stopped the clock at 29.69, 0.19 faster than Good Odds Ocker who came from fourth early to win the first semi final in 29.88 after running down pacemaker Black's A Marble.
Third fastest qualifier was Black Bear Lee, who led throughout for a runaway win over fast finishing Nangar Flame in 29.95.
Amazingly the slowest semi final winner was Victorian raider Blazin' Bomber, the greyhound all the local trainers fear, who won comfortably in 30.10.
After being last at the first turn Blazin' Bomber overtook tearaway leader Explosive Madame in the straight.
Trainer Mark Gatt wanted an inside draw for Kihael Kaluna in Saturday's final, so was delighted when his greyhound drew box three.
The greyhound was purchased by Australian Bloodstock after he won two of his first three starts in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden series.
Ironically Australian Bloodstock had purchased Kihael Kaluna following an unsuccessful attempt to buy Black Bear Lee after that dog had won the Magic Maiden final in April.
Black Bear Lee drew box five for the Vic Peters final, a draw that does not concern trainer Ruth Matic.
"All I wanted was to see him surrounded by greyhounds without a lot of pace and Blazin' Bomber (box four) and Nangar Flame (box six) did not show early speed in their semis," Matic said.
"So if Black Bear Lee begins the way he has been jumping box five should be OK. Black Bear Lee has won eight of 12 Wentworth Park starts which is a phenomenal performance, yet he seems to be under-rated much of the time."
Blazin' Bomber's trainer Darren Pattinson was disappointed with box four as he had been hoping for an inside draw.
"He has a huge motor but he never begins well so his chances in the final are going to depend on whether he gets a clear run," Pattinson said.
If Pattinson was disappointed, Good Odds Ocker's connections were absolutely reeling when they drew box seven.
"He probably needed box one or two to win this race and from box seven his prospects have slumped," Frank Hurst, whose wife Tracey trains Good Odds Ocker, said.
"Good Odds Ocker does not have a great deal of early speed but is very strong and I have not seen a dog more clever in a field. If he gets checked in a race it is only because another dog runs into him, it is never the reverse."
Explosive Madame came up with box one after trainer Daniel Flanagan's eight-year-old daughter Katelyn drew the prized position on her father's behalf.
"To see Explosive Madame make the pace and finish second in her semi to qualify for a race like this, and then to get box one, is the biggest thrill I've had in the sport," Flanagan said.
Explosive Madame is raced by four coal miners as the Bord And Pillar Racing Syndicate, the name signifying an old-fashioned method of cutting coal.
Meanwhile, trainer Merv Buckley was not surprised to see Black's A Marble make the pace in his semi final and he was happy to see his dog draw near the fence in box two.
"When Black's A Marble came from a long way back to finish fourth in his Vic Peters heat I had taken him out for the pre-race stir-up," Buckley explained.
"But that made him so excited he missed the jump so for his semi-final I kept him in the kennels while the stir-up was on and the dog began smartly, like I know he can."
Box draw for the Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic final is: 1. Explosive Madame 2. Black's A Marble 3. Kihael Kaluna 4. Blazin' Bomber 5. Black Bear Lee 6. Nangar Flame 7. Good Odds Ocker 8. Zambora Brockie. Reserves: 9. Good Odds Angel 10. No Donuts.
See you next week!
