NSW superstars Ando’s Mac and Falcon’s Fury have been joined by Victorian champions Fanta Bale and Lightning Frank among the confirmed nominations for this year’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg heats.
Striker Light and Up Hill Jill are also among the early contenders for this year’s heats of the $250,000-to-the-winner race, NSW’s biggest event of the year.
Ando’s Mac is currently NSW’s top greyhound, having won the Melbourne Cup, the Vic Peters Classic and the Warragul Cup in recent months.
The star of the gun Jason Mackay kennel, Ando’s Mac has already won more than $600,000 prize money and will no doubt be heavily backed for the series.
Falcon’s Fury won the recent Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup and currently boasts the incredible record of 15 wins and five minor placings from 22 starts.
Both greyhounds are due to contest Thursday night’s Group 2 Maitland Gold Cup final, together with fellow confirmed nominee and four-time Group winner Pantera Nera.
Lightning Frank will return to Wentworth Park after placing in January’s Group 1 National Derby behind winner National Derby Big Daddy Bee.
The MATTHEW Wright-trained greyhound won the Group 1 Silver Chief and Group 1 Temlee earlier this year and has scored 15 wins and seven minor placings from 27 starts.
Fanta Bale is sure to be another strong contender for the series after extending her prize money earnings beyond the $500,000 mark with victory in the recent Group 1 Australian Cup.
A star of the highly respected Robbie Britton kennel, Fanta Bale boasts the incredible record of 20 wins and seven minor placings from 30 starts.
Recent Group 2 Richmond Oaks runner-up Up Hill Jill, this year’s Group 1 National Futurity winner Striker Light and last year's Golden Easter placegetter Knight Sprite are also confirmed among the nominations.
The three-week Golden Easter Egg series gets under way with heats on Saturday, April 1.
Semis are seven days later, with the final – headlining a star-studded night’s racing and one of the best events in Australian greyhound racing – taking place on Saturday, April 15.
More than 130 greyhounds have been nominated for this year’s Golden Easter Egg heats, with that list to be whittled down after discussions between the GBOTA and GRSNW Grading team on Friday.
Fields for this year’s Golden Easter Egg heats will be released on Tuesday.
