Eight more greyhounds are semifinal bound after Heats of the Ladbrokes Thunderbolt were run and won at Bulli and Gosford on Tuesday.
On the Central Coast, Impress Fowler continued the hot start to her career, notching victory number eight in just her twelfth start.
The Geoff Grimwood-trained runner crossing straight to the front from an unfavourable Box 6 draw before holding off 2023 Goulburn Fireball runner-up Best Ever to the post in a time of 22.17.
“She’s been a handy little one since Blake McLean purchased her after her second race start. She won six straight and he thought “how good’s this”,” Grimwood said.
“She’s got brilliant box manners and gets out and breaks them open early. She loves Gosford and is a better two turn track dog for sure. She’s had a few goes at Grafton and the silent lure is just a totally different thing. She’s had two runs up there to give her every chance. The aim was always this race and we thought she needed three or four looks up there to familiarise herself.”
Impress Fowler is nominaTed to race at Grafton again this Sunday with Grimwood desperately hoping she draws inside come semifinal night on June 16.
“It’s in the lap of the gods now…I’m not religious actually so it’s in the lap of whoever does the box draw,” Grimwood laughed.
“I’ll take her up there again this Sunday leading into the semis but the big turn doesn’t suit her as much with the long run home. In her first start at Grafton she got to the front and got run down on the post. She missed the start in her second run and that was her race done. She needs a big long break on them to be a chance I think.”
“I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I didn’t think she’d do that, I thought Colonial Custard would knock us off for sure,” trainer Dave Lewis said following the victory.
“The biggest win of my career was getting Our Mechanic home at Wentworth Park but if ‘Bonnie’ can make it to the final of the Thunderbolt, that would surpass Everything.”
The daughter of Feral Franky x Destini Soprano ran a time of 22.33 for the 388m journey, with Sassy Ms. Minx (0.50 length back) also qualifying for the semifinals.
“They’re a bunch of champions, the blokes that own this dog. They kicked off with Little Fingers and they’ve all gone and got their handlers licenses. We’re all going to stay together at Rob Goldsworthy’s farm in Grafton before the semifinals and they’ll all be there to watch her go around,” Lewis added.
“Me and Graeme Duggan bred her and this couldn’t come at a better time. He’s had thyroid cancer and his health has deterioraTed a bit lately so this will give him a real kick along.”
“We’ll head back to Grafton on Sunday, I think we’ve got to do the right thing by her and give her a look at the track. She’s gone good at Maitland but the silent lure worries me a little bit.”
Dave Lewis (L) with part owner Ben Shield
Earlier in the day at Bulli, Dominic’s Girl never looked like getting beaten as she surged clear for a comfortable 19.18 win. The Vic Sultana-prepared Chaser winning for the fifth time in her last six starts.
Bulli specialist Enzo Herrera blitzed them in Heat 2 as he racked up his seventh straight win at the South Coast circuit.
The Garry Edwards runner stopped the clock in 18.99 to progress to the Thunderbolt semifinals.
“I said to my young fella, they’ll have to run 19 flat to beat me because he’s never been beaten at Bulli and Box 4 is one of his favourites,” Edwards said.
“Everything has been good since Ted Humphries fixed up a few of his bad injuries. He had a dislocaTed hip and a slight tear of the hip support on the same leg. When he won at Wenty over the 500, he did a ligament in his front side wrist so good old Ted has done wonders with him.”
A tilt at the Thunderbolt not initially on the radar of the Nowra Hill mentor.
“Neil Staines actually said to me about two weeks ago “are you going to throw Enzo in the Thunderbolt?” and I starTed thinking about it,” Edwards said.
“It’s a long way to travel to Grafton for a 71-year-old. I’ve had a bit of heart trouble, I had three hernias, I had my gall bladder out, I’ve got diverticulitis now. So I don’t think I could do it but my young fella, Kory, said he’d drive him up and the owner, Danny Oliver, said he’d go with him.”
“He's a dog in form and he’s only lost the one race in his last seven to Agent Chevrolet who is a good dog. Quantifiable ran fourth in that race and she’s won three straight since to frank the form.”
“Typically, he needs a look at a track to perform and he’s had a couple of little setbacks with the silent lure at Nowra so hopefully that’s no issue at Grafton.
Hardaway Chicago claimed Heat 3 in 19.21 (below) and Got The Feature (19.30) also qualified for the next stage of the series as the fastest second-placed runner.
