Reigning Sandown Park and Ballarat track record holder Unlawful Entry, red hot Wicked Warrior and NSW superstar Ritza Lenny (pictured) are among the standouts for this Friday’s rescheduled Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Derby (535m) Heats.
Recent Group 2 Gosford Cup winner Barking Bad and evergreen Brad Hill Billy also feature in the four Heats of the $40,000-to-the-winner series, which were unfortunately washed out last Friday night and which are open to male greyhounds only.
Victorian standout Unlawful Entry (box seven, Heat one) is making his Richmond debut but has amassed the terrific record of 20 wins and 20 minor placings from 61 starts and currently holds track bests for the 515m at Sandown Park and 545m at Ballarat.
He clocked a smart 34.56 over the 600m at The Meadows on January 28 so is still strong enough for this distance and has won twice and placed twice in five previous starts wearing the black rug.
Barking Bad (box one), who was also a runner-up in last month’s Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup and has a strong record at Richmond, looks like the closest challenger.
Brad Hill Billy (box five), one of the most consistent NSW greyhounds of the last two years who is still racing superbly, also looks a huge danger.
Wicked Warrior, a winner of his last five starts, has clocked a decent 30.76 over this trip and looks the top pick from box four in the second Heat.
He will face recent Group 1 National Derby winner Big Daddy Bee (box three) and hot Queenslander My Awesome Magic (box five), a winner of his last three starts who has run terrifically at Albion Park recently.
Returning Patch Adam (box one) will have his first run for almost two months in the third Heat, but has clocked a strong 30.42 over this trip and looks ideally boxed to win.
Former NSW star Nangar Flame (box four), now in the kennel of gun Victorian trainer Anthony Azzopardi, has run a dazzling 30.36 over the 535m at Richmond and looks a strong challenger.
Heat four looks arguably the toughest, featuring the Group 3 Christmas Gift winner Royal Turbo (box two), Bulli 515m track record holder El Magnifico (box seven) and Ritza Lenny in box eight.
Ritza Lenny has run a lightning 30.32 over this trip, has won two of his four previous starts from box eight and has returned strongly from injury with two wins in his last three starts.
Best value chance for the series could be Better Call Sloy, who has box six in the tough first Heat.
The Darren Sultana-trained greyhound ran a strong 30.50 over this trip on his last start, is strong from the middle boxes and has saluted on four of his last eight starts.
The four Heat winners and runners-up progress to next Friday's decider, part of a terrific night's racing at Richmond also featuring the Group 2 Richmond Oaks decider.
For Richmond Friday fields and form, click here.
