Targeted prizemoney increases at 500m and middle distance racing by Greyhound Racing NSW is again showcased at Dapto on Thursday.
A tidy $5000 goes to the winner of the GRNSW Middle Distance event (race five), with three last-start winners holding attention of punters.
Candy Carrera has secured the rails alley and looks to complete a hat-trick of Dapto wins this month. On March 4, she held Crux at bay to score by 1½ lengths in 34.55s and followed with a similar, gritty effort seven day later in 34.62s.
In just two weeks, Candy Carrera’s connections are on the cusp of banking $15,000 yet David Smith’s Prim And Proper – along with Esther’s Diva and Could Be Magic – will make this a competitive affair.
Prim And Proper (box eight) is a free-going front runner. Tipping the scales at a little less than 26 kilograms, she’s diminutive yet is compensated by steely chase.
On Saturday, she was untroubled to score at The Gardens over 600m in a smart 34.53 secs and her Dapto PB (34.21s) is less than two lengths outside Fantastic Tail’s September 2015 track record.
Though new to 600m, Could Be Magic has posted a win in Free For All company over 520m at Dapto (March 6) and a recent, strong finishing win at Wentworth Park (in 30.21s) suggests the step up in trip will suit.
Esther’s Diva, like Candy Carrera and Prim And Proper, has a turn of speed and she has posted 34.59s locally. Prim And Proper is prepared by David Smith (pictured) and, while his attention at Dapto for the moment, he has a big night ahead on Saturday at Wentworth Park.
Smith’s outstanding youngster Super Estrella, Me Me Mia, Ice Cream Story and Unreal Ethics contest heats of the prestigious G1 Golden Easter Egg. A cool $250,000 goes to the winner on April 3.
Another $5000 is up for grabs at Dapto in Race Six – the 5th Grade Series Final over 520m.
Fastest heat winner, Ruth King's lightly raced Wicked Spartan was first up from a break in his heat and made full use of the rails alley to score by 2½ lengths in 29.95s.
A superb railer, Wicked Spartan, having again secured the inside alley, is the one to beat yet he faces deeper competition with Good Odds Tiger (box four) and Drinking Moet (five) possessing the zip to work clear early on.
