2014 Listed Northern Districts Cup Preview
Shepparton twilight racing is the epicentre of feature racing in Victoria this Saturday, with the final of the listed Northern Districts Cup taking place.
The 2014 running of the race will see particular interest in a hugely talented pup by the name of Dewana Result. The youngster has set tongues wagging after some very slick performances in his short career, including setting a new track record at Warragul two starts back.
Aside from Dewana Result looking a standard in terms of times, the rest of the field look very evenly poised with some very competitive heats conducted on Monday night.
$25,000 awaits the connections of the winning dog for the event, which is run over the spacious 450 metre Shepparton layout. The Northern Districts Cup is Race Eight and is scheduled to jump at 7:48pm.
Here is a look at each runner;
1 – Kraken Concord ($8.00) – Kevin Eyles – Returned to form on Monday with an all-the-way win in 25.52. Had been mixing box manners in his couple of starts prior to that but looks to have a penchant for the Shepparton track. Looks a place chance but it would be a surprise to see him win.
2 – Symmetry Lad ($21.00) – Sharon Kaliszewski – Has terrific box manners and has the ability to lead the race but is very shaky over the last fifty metres and is likely to get overhauled. He is yet to win in four attempts at this track and this race is probably tougher than any of those.
3 – Overdrive – ($10.00) – Ian Garland – Ran on well to defeat a handy dog in 25.46 on Monday, recording his second win from three starts at Shepparton in the process. He definitely possesses his share of talent but will need to exit the boxes cleanly here to put himself in with a genuine winning chance. More of a place hope than a winning one.
4 – Who Told Blackie ($26.00) – Michael Fothergill – Jumped well and ran wide on Monday, surprising a few by leading all-the-way to score in the time of 25.55. Looks very awkwardly drawn in this given his habit of using the track and with a lot of pace outside him, he will need a lot of luck.
5 – Quick Hitch ($16.00) – Sandra Waycott – A risky beginner who does have the ability to run on but looks very dicey from the middle box. Could find himself in the middle of a squeeze with a wide runner inside and speed outside. You could only take him on trust here.
6 – Dewana Result ($1.70) – Brendan Dewan – The one that all eyes will be on come box-rise. In just four starts he has captured the imagination of the greyhound racing community with a couple of eye-popping runs. He was slow away from this box on Monday but quickly whipped up to take over and register a lightning 25.01. The only query will be whether or not he will find the same spaces in such an even field if he misses away again. That aside, he has panels on the rest of them when it comes to times and is the one to beat.
7 – Xtreme Knocka ($5.50) – Jason Thompson – Ran home strongly on Monday night to go down by a narrow margin. Has drawn this box four times already in his nine start career but really started to motor once he found the fence last week. He is in the astute care of Jason Thompson but may be governed by what the two dogs either side of him do early in the race. Given room he is definitely a big hope.
8 – Grand Legacy ($10.00) – Peter Dapiran – Looks well boxed out wide and put in a terrific effort on Monday to score despite finding trouble during the race. If he can avoid that trouble from the outside then he may be able to put himself right in the picture here. He looks the knockout dog in the race.
Reserves
9 – Be Up ($16.00) – David Warburton – Has won four from 16 at Shepparton but is yet to flatter on the clock with a best of 25.62. Has some early speed but is vulnerable late in the race. Would struggle if gains a start.
10 – Coup D'Etat ($33.00) – Brian Buchanan – Led in his heat and seemingly had every hope of winning. Would be facing a much stiffer assignment here if he gained a start.
Selections: 6-7-8-3