National Sprint Championships Field Takes Shape
After successful heats and finals campaigns in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and West Australia, the fields are just waiting on the final two entrants from New South Wales for the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship.
The box draw for the event will be completed once the full fields are decided, but we can tell you now that the two Rapidvite National Championship Finals will be races 6 and 8 on the 10 race program set down for Saturday 30th August 2008 and the first race will be held at 7:27pm.
In the spirit of showcasing the very best Australian Greyhound Racing, the NSW GBOTA are offering free entry to all to at Wentworth Park to be trackside for the running of the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship and the Rapidvite National Distance Championship with gates open from 5:30pm.
The chosen few already selected to compete in the Rapidvite National Spint Championship are :
- Victoria :All Caution
Collision ~ All Ages
41 Starts : 18 wins, 7 seconds, 4 thirds
Trained by leading trainer Darren McDonald and impressive winner of the Victorian Final at Sandown. All Caution has previously competed in 5 Group race finals, his best finishes have been a third to kennelmate Shanlyn Prince in the 2007 G1 Melbourne Cup and a fifth and seventh respectively in the 2008 G1 Silver Chief and 2008 G1 National Derby. He was also third in the 2007 G2 Young Star Classic and 2008 G3 Golden Easter Egg Consolation. McDonald has previously won the National Sprint Championship with Pure Octane in 2005, also held at Wentworth Park. - Victoria : Mogambo
Where's Pedro ~ Zarbo
22 Starts : 10 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
Trained by Jamie Ennis, Mogambo was the fastest Victorian heat winner prior to running 2nd to All Caution in the Victorian final from box 1. On the comeback trail since an injury enforced absence, Mogambo has notched good wins on the road to the Rapidvite Sprint Championship Final, including a devastating 30.64 Balllarat Track Record run. Mogambo will be young Jamie Ennis' first National Sprint Championship Final runner although his father, Gary Ennis had Freewheeler finish 6th in the 1998 National Sprint Championship Final and won the 1981 National Distance Championship with Shamrock Jewel. - Queensland : Knocka Norris
Elite State ~ Oriental Angel
29 Starts : 19 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Trainer by leading Queensland trainer Reg Kay, Knocka Norris made a one act affair of the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship Queensland Final when he led form the boxes, running a sensational 29.70 best of night. Recently been trained by Jason Thompson in Victoria but returning to Kay's kennels back in May, Knocka Norris had previously made a habit of running sensationally in heats of big races and then “going missing” the following week in the final; but under Kay's astute training the enigmatic powerhouse produced his undoubted champion abilities when it counted and has now won 5 of his last 6 starts all in the best of the night times. Knocka Norris will be Reg Kay's second National Sprint Championship Finalist, previously starting Elite State in the 2003 National Sprint Championship Final at Angele Park, which he duly won. - South Australia : Drink Driver
Collide ~ Camden Shiraz
22 Starts : 10 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
Trainer by National Sprint Championship first timer Rob Harnas, Drink Driver was an impressive 30.12 winner of the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship South Australian Final running down early leader Camden Wishes in the home straight on a slowish track from a favourable box 1 draw. Drink Driver was previously a good 2nd to Cool Keepsake in his heat. Harnas has obviously always had a good opinion of the dog as Drink Driver was a scratching from a Silver Chief Heat after only 5 starts, prior to running an unlucky 3rd to subsequent DDC Launching Pad winner, Teaman Titch at Sandown back in February 2008. Harnas has quietly guided the dog through the grades at Angle Park with 7 wins and only 3 unplaced runs from 15 starts, since that Sandown run. - West Australia : West On Paris
Bond ~ Magic Maisy
33 Starts : 15 wins, 10 seconds, 5 thirds
Trained by West Australia's premier trainer Linda Britton, West On Paris was an impressive 30.55 Rapidvite National Sprint Championship West Australian Final winner beating the highly credentialed Octanol by 1.75 lengths. Starting one of the ousiders in the final at $14.70 and the roughest of Britton's two chances in the final, West On Paris began brilliantly from her box 5 draw and gave nothing else a chance, leading all the way to win. West On Paris was a determined winner of a Heat of the Schweppes WA Oaks back in April 2008, before finishing 3rd to Miss Slick in the Group 3 Final. Under Linda Britton's guidance West On Paris has been a model of consistency since that effort, winning 7 of 13 starts and only finishing unplaced on two of those occassions. Brittons biggest success at the Nationals has been a 1998 National Distance Championship win with Paradise Street. Britton has also started Jennev for a 6th in the 2002 National Distance Championship, Reggemite for a 4th in the 1998 National Sprint Championship, Big Bad Katherine (4th 2003 National Sprint Championship) and Als Place who finshed last in the 2004 National Sprint Championship. - Tasmania : Light Ice Lad
Lilli Pilli Lad ~ Copper Delight
91 Starts : 42 wins, 16 seconds, 13 thirds
Trained by Butch Deverell one of Tasmania's leading trainers, Light Ice Lad was third pick over Deverell's two more fancied and much younger kennel mates that included Big Moose and his litter brother Akka Boy in the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship Tasmanian Final. Light Ice Lad made full use his inside box draw in the final to hold off the more fancied and desperately unlucky Big Moose by a length. Blessed with good early pace Light Ice Lad has been very consistent while never venturing off the Apple Isle, and has won 18 of his 33 starts this year. On two seperate occasions he has strung 5 wins end on end, which is no mean feat no matter where you race. Light Ice Lad will be Deverell's first National Sprint Championship finalist having had several National Distance Championship finalist's, the most recent being World Crusher who finished 7th in the 2002 National Distance Championship at Albion Park.
As host State NSW will provide two representatives for the Rapidvite National Sprint Championship Final as well as the two reserves.
The Rapidvite National Championship Finals plus a strong supporting program promise an exciting night of racing and as an added bonus patrons will have the benefit of a major refurbishment of facilities to provide significant improvements in amenities, including new bars and bistro and numerous high definition screens for SKY Channel, on course race replays and screening of Foxtel programs (rugby league and other sporting programs).