Hot Victorians Topper Teretto and Benteke, together with local star Springcreek Bill, look major hopes in tonight’s Group 3 Dapto Puppy Auction Classic (520m) semi-finals.
Topper Teretto jumps from box four in the first semi-final of the $75,000-to-the-winner series having scored a sizzling 29.64 victory in last week’s heats.
A newcomer from the gun kennel of Anthony Azzopardi, Topper Terreto won from the same box last week and looks the class act of this field.
Springcreek Bill jumps from box four in the second semi-final after clocking 30.08 while winning from box one in last week’s heats.
The Bill Bates-trained greyhound has built the fine record of six wins and eight minor placings from 15 starts and won his only previous start from box four at Dapto in June.
Last week was his first run for more than a month so he should be much Sharper this week and with a best of 29.93 at Dapto he looks a strong player in this.
Benteke (box four, pictured) looks the standout of the entire series and looks a huge chance in the third semi-final.
The recent Group 1 Vic Peters Classic placegetter is an explosive talent at his best and was a devastating 29.75 winner last week.
He has won his two previous starts from this box and with two wins and two minor placings from his last five starts he looks to be peaking at the right time for this series.
The fourth semi-final looks the most competitive race of the night, with Sharp Gambler (box two) looking the best chance of saluting.
The Darryl Thomas-trained greyhound was a sizzling 29.55 winner at The Gardens two starts back and has won four of his last six starts.
Sharp Gambler finished third in last week’s heats behind winner Topper Teretto but looks capable of improving in this.
Best value chance for the semi-finals could be Westerway, who has box seven in the fourth semi-final.
Trained by local mentor Judith Fisher, he is yet to win in 14 starts but has scored a handful of placings and ran a decent 30.22 while finishing second in last week’s heats behind winner Flying Mikayla.
The four semi-final winners and placegetters will progress to next Thursday night’s semi-finals at the Illawarra track.
In other Dapto Thursday action, Master Kooper (box four) looks a decent value chance in the 5th grade In Memory Of Allan Robertson 1-3 Wins Stakes (race seven, 520m).
Another newcomer from the Anthony Azzopardi kennel, Master Kooper is making his Dapto debut but has won in decent company at The Meadows and has triumphed once and placed once in three previous starts wearing the blue rug.
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