Stars All Coming Out For The Sportsbet Megastar Heats
By Michael Cowley
There’s a well-worn adage in elite sport, one applied most recently to NRL teenager Joseph Suaalii, and it’s one adopted by trainer Frank Hurst with his unbeaten young bitch, Ties That Bind.
“If they’re good enough, they’re old enough,” said Frank who will this Thursday dip the greyhound’s paws in the proverbial deep end in the heats of the Group 1 Sportsbet Megastar at Dapto.
The Megastar - the first of the new GRNSW Greyhound Super Series events - is special to the Hursts as it was the first Group 1 won by the Million Dollar Chase champion Good Odds Harada back in 2019.
Ties That Bind - who has just turned 21 months - has done everything asked her in four starts. She won the heat and final of the Future Stars Maiden series at Maitland last month, the same series Frank and his wife Tracey won with Good Odds Harada back in 2018.
In two starts since that series, Ties That Bind (pictured) has scored two fifth grade wins in town at Wentworth Park, but Frank knows this is a step and a half up, and although she has come up with box 1, she has drawn a hot heat, the first of four on Thursday.
“You couldn’t have found a tougher race,” Frank said.
Drawn alongside Ties That Bind is 2020 Maitland Future Stars’ winner Zipping Kyrgios, the winner of the Group 2 Black Top, and considered one of the best sprinters in NSW.
Also in the heat are the evergreen Ebby Infrared, promising young dog Lock Master and Victorian Handsome Rhino, a last start 29.95 winner at The Meadows.
The Hursts also have Good Odds Cash and the much-improved Sound Of Silence in the heats, and Frank was relieved that Good Odds Cash has finally been able to draw a box closer to the fence, having drawn the eight her past three starts, the latest in the Flight To The Phoenix final last Saturday at Wentworth Park.
“Box draws have destroyed her 100%,” Frank said. “It cost her any chance in that race last week.
“I know she’s not a brilliant beginner, but from the outside box there’s always something going to get you.
“She’s raced all the good dogs. She raced Wow and he couldn’t run her down (at Bulli), she raced Jungle Deuce in his last start at Wenty, and he couldn’t run her down. She has beaten the good dogs on her night, but boxes win races.
“Anywhere near the fence is a bonus for her so we’re happy with the two box.”
Good Odds Cash will clash with the ever-consistent campaigner Winlock On Top, fellow Flight To The Phoenix finalist Special Blend and David Smith’s Tarawi Ted.
Sound Of Silence has never raced over the 520m at Dapto but has won over the 600m and the 729m.
Frank believes he is the most improved dog in the country having won six times and been placed twice in nine starts back over the sprinting trips.
“When he first started off he was a very ordinary dog and that’s why we put him up to 600 virtually straight away,” Frank explained.
“He’s just improved. His manners used to be ordinary out of the boxes, he used to run into the back of dogs, he didn’t know where to go, now he knows how to do everything right and he’s doing it right.
“He’s learnt how to race properly. He has strengthened up a bit going over 600m and he got his confidence there.
“But when we couldn’t get a runover 600m or 700m as they didn’t have races for him, we gave him a few weeks off then brought him back for the 500m and the age race (the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic in October).
“He’s been doing everything right and racing better and he’s got a little bit of speed and he likes a vacant box beside him like he has in the heats, so he has room to move.”
Sound Of Silence made the final of the Vic Peters finishing fifth behind Bandit Ned, then would do what very few dogs do, break 26s at Bulli, running 25.97s in beating Good Odds Cash.
The spotlight in the other heat - and much of the attention on the night - will focus on rising star Bandit Ned.
Narrowly missing the GRNSW Phoenix spot, attention now turns to adding another Group 1 to his resume, this time in top company.
Bandit Ned who will make his Dapto debut on Thursday, has drawn the red in the second heat and will meet fellow Group 1 age classic winner, Light And Lily, the Peter Mosman Opal victor last month.
Also of note in the heat are Derry Express, now trained by Keith Pedrana, Boomin’ Ethics and Marvin’s Girl.
