Melbourne Cup winner Ando’s Mac, multiple Group-winning Victorian Pantera Nera and NSW superstar Falcon’s Fury headline Thursday’s Group 2 PPK Mining Maitland Gold Cup (450m) heats.
Red locals Tiny Terror and Wild Walter also feature in the six heats of the $40,000-to-the-winner series, one of the biggest events of the year in NSW.
Ando’s Mac (pictured, who has box four in heat two) has drawn poorly and has not raced competitively since winning the Group 2 Warragul Cup on January 28 but is a brilliant talent and looks a huge chance for the series.
The star of the gun Hunter Valley Jason Mackay kennel and also a winner of last year’s Group 1 Vic Peters Classic, Ando’s Mac won his only previous race at Maitland and has also scored three wins and a placing in four previous starts wearing the blue rug.
Pantera Nera (box five, heat five) has built the outstanding record of 29 wins and 17 minor placings from 56 starts and won both the Group 3 Devonport and Launceston cups earlier this year.
He warmed up for the series by winning over the 395m at Traralgon last weekend in a track record 22.25, looks ideally suited to this distance and also won last year’s Group 2 Black Top at Unibet Gardens.
Falcon’s Fury (box one, heat six) is currently NSW’s most in-form greyhound and looks a big contender to take the title.
The Paul Braddon-trained greyhound has won his last five starts, including the Bathurst and Bulli gold cups, and prepared for the series by winning on his first look at Maitland last week.
He is unbeaten in three starts wearing the red rug and boasts the formidable record of 15 wins and four minor placings from 21 starts.
Wild Walter (box four, heat four) and Tiny Terror (box seven, heat five) have both been racing brilliantly on their local Maitland track recently and look tempting roughies.
Another to watch is classy Queenslander Outside Pass, who will jump from box eight in the second heat.
The Tony Apap-trained greyhound has faced the country’s best over the last year and is capable of running brilliant races, but has been off the scene for two months.
Your Shout Punk (box one, heat four), a winner of the recent Maitland Gold Collar over the 400m and in-form Northern Rivers contender Nangar Thunder (box four, heat five) also look ones to watch.
Best value chance for the series could be 450m track record holder Old Spice, who jumps from box two in the second heat.
The Terry Priest-trained greyhound ran that 24.68 time almost a year ago but has hit good form recently with a win and two placings in his last three starts.
The six heat winners and two fastest runners-up progress to next week’s final.
For Maitland Thursday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
