The Dennis Barnes-trained Nangar Lucy qualified fastest and is the current favourite for the 2023 Sires On Ice Black Top final to be run on Friday night at Ladbrokes Gardens in Newcastle.
The Group 2 event is worth $40,000-to-the-winner and this year the first three across the line will qualify for the semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase. Locally owned bitch French Martini claimed the race in 2022, while Zipping Kyrgios holds the race record of 29.28 after his victory in 2021.
Here’s a closer look at the final field with thoughts from connections:
The 2023 Peter Mosman Opal winner bounced back to her breathtaking best in the heats, firing out of the boxes in scenes reminiscent of that memorable July night at Wentworth Park.
Once on the arm she was never in danger of being run down, stopping the clock in a BON time of 29.31 to put 8.75 lengths on the chasing pack.
The youngest of our finalists has drawn perfectly to repeat the dose but does have some speedy customers in Frisky Felon (Box 2) and Umberto (Box 3) to keep her company early on. Needs to lead to win.
“I’m rapt with the box draw and I think she’ll go alright. It’s going to be on to that first mark and if she leads them at that stage, I don’t think they can beat her. She did get hit in the catching pen after the race last week and there was a bit of bruising through her shoulder but I think she’s just about free of it now.”
“Lucy is an unbelievable railer but her only issue at the moment is she’s got a flat spot around 18 seconds into every race and then she picks up again. I got her at $21 before the heats so finger crossed. Frisky Felon is being sold short though I think. She’s gone 4.87 to the first mark and if she gets to the front, she could be hard to beat.”
The biggest surprise of the heats was the run of Frisky Felon for the Mark Davidson kennel.
She too capitalised at box rise with a scorching 4.87 run to the first mark (equal fastest with Umberto) and continued her rapid rise through the ranks with a third straight PB at the track and trip of 29.51.
‘Davo’ did say in the lead up to the series that Frisky Felon was his ‘greyhound to watch’ over the coming months, but even he was taken aback with the heat performance by the daughter of Fabregas.
The 10-time winner now owns an unblemished record at the track (3/3) and gets a draw to suit her early pace but one gets the feeling she might need to find a length or two to fend off some of these runners.
Davidson on Frisky Felon’s chances and the significance of contesting a feature race on his home track:
“It’s a tough draw for her with Nangar Lucy and Umberto either side and then Head The Charge is a worry too because Anthony [Azzopardi] is pretty sure it’ll head straight to the fence which will impede the inside dogs. This is her biggest test so far and she’s going to have plenty of pressure all around her which worries me a little bit but she needs to find two-and-a-half tenths to be winning.”
“My daughters will be there and two of my grandsons will lead the dogs out with us. That will make it special no matter the result and if we do get on the podium, that’d make it even better. We’re not favourites, we’re outsiders, and although I want to win the race, I’m realistic. We are underdogs and that will help me relax and enjoy the night.”
3. Umberto | Jason Thompson (handled by Peter Lagogiane)
Best Gardens Time: 29.35
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 4.87
Track & Distance Record: 1: 1-0-0
Box 3 History: 3: 2-0-1
Ladbrokes: $2.80
The main aim may still the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase but gee, Jason and Seona Thompson must be delighted with the last month from rising kennel star Umberto.
Was boxed to perfection in the Group 1 Dapto Megastar and duly saluted over a gallant and highly talented Chaser in Mortified. Then arrived at Ladbrokes Gardens and delivered the third fastest heat time of 29.35 in his first race start at the venue.
An early burner with sustained top end speed, Box 3 is an interesting proposition with Hurricane’s Fury (Box 4) outside him usually taking a few more strides to muster top pace, while Head The Charge (Box 5) seems desperate for the fence.
'Back-to-back Group race winner’ has a nice ring to it, especially for a Victorian doing it on NSW soil.
“We don’t send any dogs interstate expecting to win but you certainly hope they can comPete and make a final. To me, racing comes down to luck in the box draw and luck in running and in all of his races up there so far, he’s had both.”
“Pete [Lagogiane] knows what he’s doing and I cant train them from 1000km away so I’ve left most of it to him. Dapto and The Gardens are speed dogs tracks so they suit Umberto’s style of racing but if any of the favourites do anything wrong in a race like this, every finalist is hard to beat. Penthouse won the race for us for 2011 so it’d be nice to win it again.”
A third feature final in five months for Hurricane’s Fury after third and sixth placed finishes in the Taree and Chief Havoc Cup respectively earlier in the year. He was also a Golden Easter Egg semi-finalist in April, beating home Group 1 winners She’s A Pearl and Embrace in that race.
Looked a moral on paper to advance to the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase semi-finals through the Taree qualifiers a few weeks ago but just missed the kick in the decider and got no luck throughout to finish Seventh.
Box 4 doesn’t actually read too bad on paper all things considered. All of the early pace is drawn underneath him, there’s a rail crasher outside him, and if Hurricane’s Fury comes out a length behind them and heads down to the rail, he could suddenly find himself in the race if there’s some jostling through the catching pen.
Kat Ernst on the final field and Hurricane’s Fury’s chances:
“It looks pretty tricky on paper because Anthony [Azzopardi] has been saying his dog takes a hard left on box rise. Our guy doesn’t have the speed to go with the 1, 2 or 3 anyway so his best chance is to miss the kick and duck to the fence. I don’t think he’d be far off a place if there was a bit of buffeting up front and he went 29.5 in the dead of winter so I think he could go 29.4.”
“He’s a bit of a knucklehead though so he’ll either do everything perfect and get into the race or he’ll run up their backsides. It’s our first Black Top final and it’d be good for the dog to win it. We took him in thinking he might win a few races but he’s been such a good little bread and butter dog and he tries really hard.”
Head The Charge came into the series with big wraps from trainer Anthony Azzopardi and he duly delivered with a slashing heat win of 29.34 (less than half a length outside the time of fastest qualifier Nangar Lucy).
Box 5 could be a potential problem for the son of Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot though. This bloke wants the fence and has enough early pace and size (biggest greyhound in the race at 33kg) to assert himself early on. If he crashes left like his trainer predicts, Umberto, Frisky Felon and Nangar Lucy are all in the firing line and suddenly the race might be up for grabs for an outsider.
Has had a few looks at the track now, the kennel has stayed in Goulburn this week to avoid the long slog up from Victoria, and he’s won this race before (Uno Suzie in 2015) so Head The Charge could be about to peak.
“The box draw was a bit disappointing because we need the inside, but it’s not all lost. I’m hoping he can find half a length early, which I think he can because he dwelt a bit in the heats. If he can go 4.85 or 4.90 for the first section and put some pressure on the dogs inside him early, he’ll be there when it counts. My guy is not a world beater but he loves to race and he’s got improvement to come, so in his third run on the track, he’s ready to go.”
If Mark and Mel Davidson are going to pull off the biggest win of their training careers, Fat Boy’s Dream is probably the more likely chance of the ‘Davo Duo’.
A strong heat win of 29.54 came after a moderate getaway, with the daughter of Aston Dee Bee having to squeeze her way clear early before knuckling down late to nail unlikely leader Big Boy Wilson in the shadows of the post.
Fat Boy’s Dream has the equal most wins (5 with Double Polka) of any finalist at the track and trip and her PB of 29.28 (set almost a year ago to the day) is the race fastest, but as the oldest member of the final, can she produce a Group 2 winning effort beyond three years of age?
Will need some luck to win but with Head The Charge likely to go left, and no blistering pace outside her, she could get a nice run to the first bend. Would be a very popular winner.
“She’s probably boxed well if Head The Charge goes left like we’re hearing and starts getting in the way of some of the dogs underneath us. If that happens, he could block for our girl and she will go straight so she could get the run of the race to the first turn. I think the dogs in 6, 7 and 8 could all get a run if that happens actually.”
‘Big Boy’ took out the rich Robert Smith Memorial maiden back in February at the track and has run well here at Ladbrokes Gardens since.
Seven starts for two wins and three minors with a best of 29.57 is nothing to sneeze at, but a Group 2 field with some potential stars engaged looks a bit beyond him, especially from the wide draw.
Has only had the two wins since March and although he ran a bold race out in front in the heats, should find this field too speedy. Bookies outsider but may also get a charmed run to the first corner.
“He’s in it, so anything can happen. He’ll need a bit of luck to be honest because he’s not ideally boxed. He has won from wide at The Gardens but everything went his way that night. He won’t crash to the rails like Azzopardi’s dog thought will so it might help to be wide.”
”A few people said he was a bit outclassed when I threw him in the heats but I thought they’d go quick in the heats and slower in the final. If they do, he might be a chance. I got him for free and he’s definitely worth more than that now. He just couldn’t hang on in the heats but he will go straight and Chase hard and he doesn’t know what odds he is.”
Big Boy Wilson after winning the Robert Smith Memorial Maiden earlier this year
8. Double Polka | Allan Woods 0432 561 014 Best Gardens Time: 29.68 Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 4.95
Track & Distance Record: 14: 5-6-2
Box 8 History: 3: 2-0-0
Ladbrokes: $19
A maiden Group final appearance awaits Nabiac trainer Allan Woods after Double Polka finished 4.75 lengths off Umberto to run second in her heat.
The daughter of Keybow produced a career best time of 29.68 to earn her spot in the final, and get the tissues ready if she salutes for Al and the team.
She is a track specialist with 14 career runs landing her five wins and eight minor cheques (she is also currently leading the Greyhound Of The Year standings at The Gardens), and she has been racing in non-graded company for the last few months so is battle ready.
Box 8 is also where this girl wants to be but she's never seen a field of this calibre and will need some luck.
“Geez I hope we have some luck on our side but a win seems out of the realms of possibility at this stage. We’re just happy to be there, but if we won it, it’d be such a boost for the whole crew here and I don’t think I’d able to hold back the tears to be honest.”
“I’m happy with the box draw because the ones inside are going to be competing for the lead. Double Polka will run straight and hopefully they leave her alone because she doesn’t like dogs being outside her."
Double Polka and some excited youngsters at The Gardens
