Kennel Clues: A Close Look At Tonight's Dapto Features
By Simon Orchard
The spotlight is on Dapto tonight with a great card headlined by the Sportsbet Dapto Middle Distance Championship, with some top-line talent to hit the track in pursuit of $25,000.
Earlier in the program the Greyhound Racing NSW Maiden Series Final will also take place with some promising up-and-comers chasing a $10,000 cheque.
We tracked down the trainers in the lead up to both races, and got their ‘Kennel Clues’ about their runners in the feature events.
I think she’s a danger if she steps away but she’s a bit hit and miss from the start. Happy with the inside draw and she does her best work down the back straight so if she can be in her best position coming out of the second turn she should be a pretty good chance.
She’s only had the one look at Dapto and she handled it well so she should improve Thursday. We’re sending her up from Victoria again but she’s a really good traveller. It’s not going to be easy but the big races never are.
Robert Ayres | I’m Explosive | Box 3
This is only her second start over 600m and the full sister is racing in Box 2 (Stay Strong). She can definitely win the race. She jumped a bit sideways last week and missed the start. With Box 3 in the final, if she jumps, the rest of the dogs will know they’re in a race and I dare say they will be looking at her tail most of the trip.
I’ll lean towards Zipping Niseko as her biggest rival. Ice Cream Story is good, but the more you race the more you see class come out on top.
She’s perfect, no excuses and she’ll be better than last week. She’s rock hard fit, has been running out 700m of late and I think if she jumps to the front she’ll be fine. Box 4 is OK as she tends to come up the track a bit from inside so hopefully she pings and leads. She’s beaten plenty of good dogs, she’s been placed in good races and she’s got the advantage of seeing the track a bit more than some of her rivals so she’s well placed.
Zipping Niseko is the group dog, she was great in the Top Gun Stayers (running second over 725m) and was unbelievable again last week.
She’s had a busy few weeks so I haven’t done a lot with her over the last seven days. We’ve just tried to freshen her up a bit so she can sprint a bit better and get on the pace straight away. Last week’s win was a tradesman-like effort, she didn’t lead, had to work through the field and ran over the top of Ice Cream Story which is no mean feat.
Dapto is traditionally a leaders track but for some reason she likes the place and her record shows that (undefeated in four starts at track and trip]. I’m hoping Prim and Proper comes out well and pushes forward and Niseko can get a spot right behind her. Smart Fernando should run pretty straight and help her find that room.
The dog is well but he’s punching a bit above his weight in this race. He hadn’t been to Dapto before last week so I took him there with this week’s fifth grade race in mind but here we are. Not an ideal box but hopefully he can lead or can drop back and down to the fence early and find some room to run. He’s going to need a lot of luck but I think it’s his pet distance and he’s a hope of running a place.
I was a bit shocked he got through to be honest, but he’s my only dog so I know him well and if he doesn’t get touched he could run anything. Hopefully we can lead or sit second from the boxes and then he’ll hit that first turn like a rollercoaster. If he can do that, he’ll be a worry for them.
I always thought he was a 580m dog at most but he’s trialled and jumped really well recently. The box shouldn’t an issue as I’ve trained him a lot from the outside boxes.
David Smith | Ice Cream Story | Box 8
We were really divided in this household over who might run better. My old man thinks Prim And Proper is the one but I like Ice Cream Story. Ice Cream [Story] is more likely to win because she can run them all down except Zipping Niseko. Although she would rather be on the inside - the wide draw could be beneficial if there’s any trouble early and she can scoot around them.
It’s hard to win a big one at Dapto from Box 8, but as soon as the race goes to single file she goes good so hopefully that happens.
Peter Ray | Wicked Flash | Number 9 - Box 1
I’m thrilled to be in and if you look at his stats, he always runs well from Box 1, 2 and 3 (11: 6-1-3). That was his first run back in five weeks last start and he was probably short of a run so he’ll improve a lot from that. He likes being inside and I’m wrapped that he’ll take the red box. Ice Cream Story should vie for the lead with Prim And Proper and hopefully we’ll get a nice cart behind those. He’s not overly quick early but he’s got the ability, it’s just that he’s stepping up into some nice company. I think Zipping Niseko is going to be the hardest to beat, she’s great.
Sometimes he jumps out and sometimes he doesn’t so it’s hard to predict with him. When he won last Thursday I thought his time was a bit slow (30:53). He trialled a lot better than that. He broke 30 seconds when he trialled a couple of weeks ago. Last Thursday was his first run with a full field and he seemed to be a bit green. He will improve from that and although he’s only had the one start, he can jump and run well.
His box manners need to improve but he’s got a good turn of speed so he should enjoy a track that favours the leaders. Both him and his brother [Paul Keeping] did their initial education down at Dapto so they know the place well. Lance’s first two sectionals last week were better than Paul’s so he’s definitely got the better early speed but he’s still quite green. If he can get up and going early he’ll be hard to run down and he’ll need to be near the bunny to be chance.
She began well last week and wanted to get across to the rail. She’s well-schooled at the track and if you can lead around Dapto you’re half a chance in maidens. She hasn’t been drawn ideally in the yellow but she’s knocking on the door for a win. Looked like last week she was a bit unlucky and got tightened for room a little bit but in saying that, she’ll have to improve a bit to win the final. She’s gone around in 30.30 and she probably needs to go better to win.
He’s drawn badly in box 6 but if he comes out as good as he did in the heat, he’ll put himself right into the race. He’s the fastest qualifier and I expect him to improve with a clearer run. It might be a good box because of what’s drawn around him as well. The five [Tarawi Sophie] is a fence crasher and the 7 [Paul Keeping] is normally relatively average to begin so he should get room to move.
Paul is the faster dog of the two Keeping’s in this race. He had every hope last week and I think with even luck he could break 30 seconds soon. When I educated him there, his times were often under 30 seconds but he hasn’t been able to produce in a full field. Of the two brothers I’d say Paul is the best hope. He’s getting better with experience and likes being outside other dogs so he’s better boxed in 7. He’s still very green and awkward but my hope is he might turn into a nice stayer.
I was looking at races in NSW for I’m Explosive [running in theSportsbet Dapto Middle Distance Championship] and Midnight Oil just sort of went along for the trip as a travel buddy. She’s only had the two 520m runs so she’s getting fitter and I believe she’s quite good. Troy Robinson is looking after her in Newcastle and has been doing a great job so with his expertise and her building fitness every day we think she’s a good chance.
