Eileen Thomas Still Confident Despite Drawing The Blue
Despite not being impressed with the blue box, Damek's trainer Eileen Thomas still expects her champ to give his backers a great sight in Thursday night's $75,000 Group 1 Wrest Point Casino Hobart Thousand.
“He could have drawn better, but that's all in the game and we have to accept it,” she declared on Monday.
“All I know is he is very well in himself and I am sure, that given a trouble free run in transit, he will be very competitive in what is his biggest test to date.”
Last Thursday night the son of Big Daddy Cool worked to the lead and then proceeded to give his rivals a galloping lesson, before scoring by six lengths in the time of 25.94 and making it 12 wins in succession at the venue.
Damek's litter brother Decembrist, an occupant of the Copping kennel of Peter Phillips, also made it through to the final of Tasmania's premier event by taking out his heat in the time of 26.08.
These two locally owned chasers, along with the Gary Greig prepared Octane Assassin, will take on the cream of Australia's greyhounds in what promises to be a wonderful contest.
Octane Assassin, a son of Pure Octane, made it four wins in succession in winning his heat in a relatively slow 26.29.
The chaser commenced racing in Tasmania from the kennel of veteran Launceston trainer Doug Cassidy, winning at the Devonport Raceway on debut and then again at Tattersalls Park, before being purchased by a client of Greig's Tea Tree kennel.
Eileen Thomas nominates the interstate chasers Octane Show and Dee Winter as Damek's main rivals on Thursday night.
The Victorian chaser Dee Winter, an occupant of the Ray Henness kennel, blitzed his heat rivals to establish new track record figures of 25.78 and has drawn the black box in the rich finale.
Also a son of Big Daddy Cool, Dee Winter ran third to the super star El Grand Senor in the recent $250,000 Group 1 Melbourne Cup and is obviously cherry ripe for this assignment.
The Queensland chaser Octane Show, now with Darren McDonald, then bettered Dee Winter's time by careering away from his heat rivals to score by seven lengths in a sensational 25.75.
Also by Pure Octane, the chaser has drawn alongside Dee Winter in the green box and is expected to give plenty of cheek when the lids fly.
Early markets on the Hobart Thousand suggest that Damek and Dee Winter will probably be vying for favouritism in the event, with Octane Show marginally away on the third line of betting.
Obviously luck in running will play a big part in the eventual result, but the majority of Tasmanians will be cheering on the local champ, hoping that he can achieve almost the impossible and make it 13 wins in a row.