Maitland Future Stars Young Guns Locked and Loaded
Twelve strong heats of the coveted Multicam Systems Maitland Future Stars will be conducted this Thursday morning, with established trainers travelling from far and wide to the Hunter Valley one turn track in a bid to secure the $7,000 prize check and free service to Knocka Norris awarded to this years winner.
Always a recognisable name at the feature classic races at any track, Christine Oldfield will be bringing several potential young stars carrying the famous ‘November' line. Christine's record with her November youngsters at Maitland is as good as any, having started 35 times for 12 wins and 11 placings.
Oldfield looks to have a dominant hand in the series, with five starters in the heats; four of whom are from the October 2008 litter by Bit Chili out of Oldfield's own prolific winner, November Savanna. The dam was the winner of 12 of 41 starts with her career highlights coming when she ran third in the 2006 Group 1 National Futurity and was runner up in the 2006 Group 2 Ladies Bracelet. This is her first litter to race.
High profile Hunter Valley trainer Jason Mackay has a hand also in this years series with littermates Yella Mustard and Sam I Am for owner John Tyrrell. The litter is impeccably bred by Bombastic Shiraz out of the sensational Awesome Berger.
Awesome Berger was prepared by master trainer John Finn and notched up 18 wins from just 42 starts. Not only was she explosive on the race track, Awesome Berger is also responsible for the outstanding chaser Smart Betsy, whose grand dam is the legendary Chili Berger; the dam of now proven sire Bit Chili. If these pups have inherited any genes of their famous parents, there's no doubt they will both start hot favourites come Thursday.
Strong representation from leading Sydney trainers Kristy Sultana and Anthony Lord should guarantee there will be some quick times notched up this Thursday morning which will send tongues wagging with the possibility of a future group winner on show.
This years heat are being run as non-TAB races Thursday morning, so the only way to get set on some of the New South Wales hottest young greyhounds will be to get your backside trackside at Maitland, with the first race timed to go 9:30am and the last of 12 heats at 12:15pm.
The regular Maitland program will commence at 3.49pm featuring the East Maitland Business House final.
The Maitland Future Stars Maiden semi finals will be conducted during the normal Maitland program next Thursday followed by the all important final the following week, in what proves to be an exciting chance for Hunter Valley punters to get a first hand look at the new stars on show.