2014 Group Two Dapto Puppy Classic Semi Final Preview
The Group Two Dapto Puppy Auction series has rolled around for another year with the heats taking place last Thursday night at Dapto. The three week series now moves to semi-finals stage this week and the final will be conducted a week later on Thursday, 4 December.
The race is open to greyhounds sold through the 2013 Dapto Puppy Auction. A total of eight heats were conducted with Sokyo, a black dog by High Earner and Magic Capers (Spiral Nikita – Undermatched) the fastest heat winner in 29.82.
The list of heat winners last week looked like this:
Heat One: Le Burglar (High Earner – Magic Capers) – 30.21 (Pauline Moran)
Heat Two: Sokyo (High Earner – Magic Capers) – 29.82 (Christine Oldfield)
Heat Three: Colt Rocket (Cosmic Rumble – Sky Fly High) – 30.37 (Amy Bennett)
Heat Four: Enchanted Molly (Cosmic Rumble – Miranda Molly) – 30.14 (Loretta Rice)
Heat Five: Kichiro (Cosmic Rumble – Miranda Molly – 29.92 (Leon Bozovitch)
Heat Six: Ella Has Class (Bekim Bale – Bralyn Ella) – 29.91 (Dean Swain)
Heat Seven: Stilton Lucky (Cosmic Rumble – Dynamic Shiraz) – 30.36 (Phillip Goodsell)
Heat Eight: Alderley Reform (Yahoo Omar – Bananarama) – 30.14 (Terrance Cahalan)
Here's a preview of each of the main chances in the semi-finals. The first two from each semi-final will go through to the $75,000 to-the-winner final.
Semi-Final One – Group 2 Dapto Puppy Classic – Race 4 at 8:35pm (NSW time)
Three of last week's heat winners feature in this semi-final – Alderley Reform (1), Ella Has Class (4) and Kichiro (6). Of those three, Ella Has Class recorded the fastest time in the heats. She showed a nice even mix of pace and strength to win from box four last week, the same draw she has in this semi-final.
Kichiro was not far behind Ella Has Class on the clock but he had the much more favourable box two draw on that occasion and now moves out to the undesirable box six draw. He will have to try an outpace Magic Knight (8) and Ella Has Class (4) who both recorded 5.44 to the first mark last week.
Alderley Reform (1) was only steady out last week, with a 5.64 first section but once he hit the lead he ran away with a 6 1/4 length victory. He has drawn the good box and will need to use it to put himself in a handy position.
Magic Earner (2) may be improved by a look at the track and a draw closer to the rails. The Jodie Lord trained chaser is a litter-mate to Sokyo and was having her first look at the track last week from box seven, finishing five lengths third behind Sokyo. She has four career wins including two at Wentworth Park.
Christine Oldfield's runner Angsana (7) may also find herself improved by a look at the track. Prior to her Dapto start in the heats, the Collision and Dusty Retreat (Spiral Nikita – Undermatched) chaser had been racing down in Victoria. She finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Stilton Lucky in the heats.
Semi-Final Two – Group 2 Dapto Puppy Classic – Race 5 at 8:55pm (NSW time)
No heat winners have found their way into this semi-final. Lunar Sky (3) has just the two wins from 11 starts but the Cosmic Rumble and Sky Fly High (Big Daddy Cool – Token Melody) chaser raced well last week, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind Sokyo from box three. Once again she is well boxed and if she can repeat her 5.42 first section, she should be able to lead this race.
The main danger is obviously the highly talented and well performed Frattini (5). She has won eight from 16 in her career and has recorded a best time at Dapto of 29.63. She wasn't able to show pace last week from box four, eventually scrambling home for third, 8 1/4 lengths astern of Alderley Reform. The box draw is the worry for her.
Barcelona Star (7) is the lightly raced improver. With just five starts under her belt, the Fabregas and Suddenly (Bond – Bothing) greyhound has had two wins and a placing. Her wins have been at Gosford (29.91) and Dapto (30.04). She was fourth from box eight last week and will need to improve on that effort to come out on top here.
Bertacious Bee (8) has won from box eight at Dapto in 30.15. He finished fourth last week behind Enchanted Molly from box seven, beaten 5 1/4 lengths.
Semi-Final Three – Group 2 Dapto Puppy Classic – Race 6 at 9:15pm (NSW time)
A further three heat winners step-up in this semi-final including fastest heat winner Sokyo (6). Box six may concern connections but the pacey black dog has won four from four at the track and sped along the first section in 5.41 last week. His best first section at the track is 5.40 so he is consistent in that respect. If he can get a clear run into the turn he should qualify for a place in the final. The only concern is the runner in box five, Cleaning Money (5) who has run similar times to the first mark at Dapto. If Cleaning Money can take the lead, he is in with a good shot of taking out the race.
Spring Bonanza (1) has won seven from 14 for visiting Queensland trainer Tom Tzouvelis. The Spring Gun and Magic Fantasy (Premier Fantasy – Le Royale) chaser had her first start at Dapto last week, contending with the difficult box six draw and running fourth, five lengths behind Stilton Lucky. Prior to the run last week, Spring Bonanza had been winning around Ipswich. The move to box one should help.
Mo Keeping (3) has spent a bit of his short career in Victoria and hs come back to NSW for this series. He has shown plenty of pace in his wins at Bendigo and Warragul. He wound up 2 1/4 lengths third behind Enchanged Molly last week from box five.
Stilton Lucky (4) got lucky last week to win at massive odds of $62. In the process he broke his maiden. It was his 10th start and he is unlikely to win two in a row.
Colt Rocket (7) did well to win last week but will find it tough from the wide draw trying to cross Sokyo and Cleaning Money (5).
Semi-Final Four – Group 2 Dapto Puppy Classic – Race 7 at 9:38pm (NSW time)
The remaining two heat winners Le Burglar (5) and Enchanted Molly (4) line-up in the final semi-final. It will be an interesting run into the first turn between these two chasers. Enchanted Molly zipped out of box one last week to lead all the way with a fast 5.39 first section. Le Burglar also had the box one draw last week and clocked a 5.40 first section. Le Burglar is the better performed and experienced of the two chasers with a fast win at Wentworth Park already under his belt. Enchanted Molly has won both of her career starts with her maiden win coming over the shorts at Nowra.
If Doozy (3) can improve her start she might factor amongst the top three placings. She narrowly went down to Enchanted Molly last week, after a moderate beginning from box three. She has won just one from nine but is a sister to the highly fancied Sokyo. She is trained by Luke Azzopardi.
A Steve White trained chaser can never be underestimated and he has Rare Pearl (6) in box six. Rare Pearl has won three from nine and has been placed on four other occasions. She had her first start at Dapto last week, finishing second behind Colt Rocket. Naturally, there needs to be improvement on that run but if she runs up to her recent performances at Richmond (30.53 and 30.36), she will be hard to beat.