Fields Announced for 2015 Temlee, Rookie Rebel and Zoom Top
THE final fields have been announced for three of Australia's most prestigious invitation-only greyhound races: the Temlee, the Rookie Rebel and the Zoom Top.
Each race holds Group 1 status and will be run and won at The Meadows on February 21. The box draw for each will be held on Saturday (February 14).
The Temlee, worth $100,000 to the winner, will be run for the sprinters over 525 metres with the finalists in the race having won an incredible $2.42 million between them.
Each individual greyhound is a Group winner and all eight are in tremendous form with Dyna Villa being the boom pup on the scene. A win in the Temlee would take him within $10,000 of becoming Australia's highest stakes earner.
The field in alphabetical order is as follows:
Above All, Allen Deed, Awesome Project, Chica Destacada, Dyna Villa, Flash Reality, My Bro Fabio, Zipping Willow
Res: Marcus Joe, Musquin Bale
The Rookie Rebel will be conducted over the 600-metre trip offering $75,000 to the winner. The standout performer at this early stage appears to be Star Recall, the winner of last year's Sale Cup, but she will face a tough task against the likes of Lamia Bale, Ralphy Cinel and the Kelly Bravo-trained duo of Ride The Rails and Waymore's Blues.
The eight chosen runners are:
Cosmic Wise, Echelonic Action, Lamia Bale, Ralphy Cinel, Ride The Rails, Sisco Rage, Star Recall, Waymore's Blues
Res: Cornelius Fudge, Come On Fantasy
Finally, in the Zoom Top eight stayers will battle for Group 1 glory, however, the race will lack some depth with the absence of top Victorian bitch Sweet It Is. Darren McDonald's multiple Group 1 winner hasn't been seen since the end of last year when finishing third in the Sale Cup behind Star Recall. Still, an intriguing final awaits.
The final field will consist of:
Blinker's On, Flying Twist, Lady Toy, Psychotic Gold, Pumped Up Zarr, Shall She Rock, Space Star, Starc
Res: Zipping Maggie, Zipping Rory
The three races will be run on the same night as the preliminaries of the Group 1 Australian Cup with the winners guaranteeing themselves a spot in the following week's heats.
Many of the Temlee contenders will also head towards the Australian Cup series, with the final on March 7 boasting $250,000 to the winner.