Rookie stayer Outside Pass' trainer Tony Apap believes his greyhound has the ideal draw to end Victoria's recent domination of the Group 1 Ubet National Distance Championship at Albion Park tonight.
Ring The Bell completed a hat-trick of Victorian wins by taking out last year's National Distance Championship at Adelaide's Angle Park, while Sweet It Is had won at Wentworth Park in 2015 and at Perth's Cannington 12 months earlier. And the Victorian duo in this year’s feature Fanta Bale and Burn One Down are all the rage in early betting on tonight's final (race eight, 710m) at Brisbane's Albion Park.
Burn One Down (box seven) is $2.20 favourite with Sportsbet while Fanta Bale (box one) is currently on the second line of betting at $2.60.
But Apap gives Outside Pass ($4.80) a great chance of producing another home town win.
“Outside Pass has had no trouble adapting to long distance racing,” Apap said. “When she won at her first 710m race at Albion Park she broke the first section record. Then last week when she won over the same distance from box four, her run was even better.
“It was hard to detect from the grandstand but from behind the boxes I saw her get turned sideways and it was a fantastic effort for her to win. The Distance Championship has attracted a sensational field, stronger I believe than the spring title, but Outside Pass is perfectly drawn in box eight. I think she has a great chance of leading all the way.”
Sydney trainer Michael Eberand is quietly confident of causing an upset with Ebby Ripper, NSW’s representative in the race.
“She loves the Albion Park track and since she won the NSW final at Wentworth Park on August 12 Ebby Ripper has trialled brilliantly at Richmond,” Eberand said. I would not be surprised if she finishes all over them in the straight to win.”
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