2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase final a quality race after four thrilling 600m heats
The best middle distance racing talent was on show on Thursday night at Albion Park with the 2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase heats.
The final next week run over 600m is worth $60,000 to-the-winner, and the field will include a +7000 winner who has rediscovered his Group 3 winning form, and will be out to defend his 2022 Carnival Chase title.
Next week's Carnival Chase final will also feature first-time Albion Park winners, as well as a now four-time track and distance winner from the Tony Zammit kennel.
Despite a heavy interstate presence in the four middle distance heats, the rich 600m final will be run with four local greyhounds trying to repel the sole New South Wales greyhound, and three Victorian dogs, who have qualified through the heats.
All eyes were on the final of the four Carnival Chase heats where greyhound punters backed Hector Fawley in to a -222.22 favourite with greyhound betting sites, despite having never even trialled on the track.
The Lisa Cockerell-trained Hector Fawley was coming in to the race having beaten Punter's Bandit in 33.87 in the 2023 Group 3 The Racecallers match-race at Sandown over 595m.
Out of the 600m boxes though at Albion Park, he missed the jump from box three and fell to the rear where he found roadblock after roadblock in the run, ultimately finishing 12 lengths from the winner in seventh.
Meanhwile, the Brent Kline-trained Keen surged to the lead from box eight, ahead of the Jedda Cutlack-trained chaser Shaye (+600) in second.
That pair broke away on the turn putting six lengths on the pack with Keen getting the upper-hand in the home straight to race away from Shaye, winning by three lengths in 35.24.
Visiting Victorian greyhound Zoha Bale, trained by Mark Delbridge, got past the tiring Shaye to secure second and a berth in next week's Group 3 final.
2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase Heat 4 – Keen (35.24) T: Brent Kline
Keen is from the October 2019 litter by Aston Dee Bee from Shez Impetuous, which makes him a litter brother to She's A Pearl.
The brindle dog, owned and trained by Brent Kline, is an 80-start veteran who turned back the clock with last night's upset +7000 victory, having won the 2022 Group 3 Carnival Chase last year.
Keen was a finalist in the Group 1 Hobart Thousand final over 461m, won by the Aussie Secret in December 2021.
Zoha Bale, was one of a four-pronged attack on the Carnival Chase heats by Victorian trainer Mark Delbridge, and will be Delbridge's sole representative in next week's final after finishing second.
The son of Allen Deed and Sammy Allen will be racing in his first group race final.
In the first Carnival Chase heat Wheel and Go showed his love of the cherry box, having won seven times from the draw, using the alley perfectly to hit the lead running, and make every post a winner, going on to win by three lengths in 34.70.
It was the first time that the Victorian Tim Britton-trained dog had seen the track, with greyhound bookmakers sending him out a +200 race favourite, his performance showing an ability to more than meet the challenge.
Local greyhound Hara's River, trained by Jemma Daley, ran on to finish second, having started as the second favourite at +230.
2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase Heat 1 – Wheel And Go (34.70) T: Tim Britton
Wheel And Go (Benali x Erelda Bale), the 2022 Group 1 Hume Cup placegetter at The Meadows over 600m, also made the finals of the 2022 Group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial, and the 2023 Listed Maidment Memorial, both at Sandown over 595m.
Wheel And Go's 34.70 win makes him the quickest qualifier for the Group 3 Carnival Chase final by some margin, with second placed Hara's River the next fastest after running 34.89.
Hara's River (Fernando Bale x Hara's Honey) is a three-time listed race finalist, finishing runner-up in each of the 2022 Listed Ipswich Young Guns (520m), the 2022 Listed Molly Campbell Silver Dollars at Albion Park (520m), and last week in the 2023 Listed QGOLD Winter Chase at Albion Park over 600m behind Jimmy The Singer.
Tony Zammit brought the quality expected from his kennel with Adulate taking out the second of the Carnival Chase heats with the Tim Britton-trained On The Off finishing second to give Britton two chances in the $60,000 to-the-winner final.
Punters sent out All Spritzed Up as race favourite with greyhound betting apps, having transferred from the Victorian kennels of Anthony Azzopardi to local trainer Warren Nicholls for the race series, but the +150 favourite finished dead last, almost 9 lengths from the winner, Adulate.
After a good beginning, +360 equal second favourite Adulate, and +2200 ‘bolter' On The Off, had the race between them for the entire trip, with Adulate's strength coming to the fore late, to kick away by 1.25 lengths from Victorian greyhound, On The Off.
2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase Heat 2 – Adulate (34.92) T: Tony Zammit
Adulate, by Zambora Brockie out of Tahlia's Way, has a shown a real liking for the Albion Park 600m journey, having now started over the track and distance eight times for four wins and three placings.
The black dog owned by The After The Last syndicate has never finished worse than fourth over the Breakfast Creek track's middle distance.
Adulate placed third in last week's Group 3 QGOLD Winter Chase final, and has made the finals of the 2023 Group 3 Rockhampton Cup, and the 2022 Listed QGOLD final at Albion Park over 520m.
On The Off will provide Victorian greyhound trainer Tim Britton with his second Carnival Chase finalist.
By Fernando Bale out of Tears Siam, On The Off is a litter brother to 2023 Dashing Corsair finalist Play Nice, also trained by Tim Britton.
On The Off is a 2022 Group 1 Hume Cup finalist, and was a finalist in the 2023 Listed Maidment Memorial at Sandown; both black-type races that fellow Carnival Chase finalist Wheel And Go competed in.
The second last heat for the $60,000 to-the-winner feature final began with New South Wales greyhound Palawa King starting as a +220 second favourite, behind Victorian greyhound Ailee Bale who was priced at +210 from box one.
Palawa King, trained at Forbes, NSW by Ray Smith, had only been unplaced twice in his past 15 starts, including against top level sprint and distance competition in the 2023 Group 3 The Lizrene final at Sandown over 715m, the $500,000 to-the-winner ‘pop-up' race The 715 at The Gardens, the 2023 Group 3 New Sensation (Wentworth Park, 520m), and the 2023 Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park (520m) behind Victa Damian.
From the jump, Palawa King was a clear two lengths last behind the second last dog. The Ray Burman-trained hope Jewel Bee speared to the lead with Daysea's Rowdy chasing in second.
Palawa King's formidable blur rug started coming back in to the picture along the back straight, after being almost 10 lengths from the leader at one point in the run.
On the second last turn, Daysea's Rowdy took over from the tiring Jewel Bee, while Palawa King's extraordinary track sense saw him abandon the rails runs where he was making ground, to circle the field past the 600m boxes.
The son of Feral Franky and Maximum Dos, easily accounted for the leaders in the run home, finishing that strongly that he beat Daysea's Rowdy by 1.75 lengths in 34.99.
2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase Heat 3 – Palawa King (34.99) T: Ray Smith
Palawa King's thrilling last-to-first effort, coupled with his high IQ track sense, surely makes him a strong chance in next week's Group 3 Carnival Chase final.
Ray Smith is no stranger to what it takes to win a Flying Amy Classic, having taken out previous Flying Amy's with Feral Franky and Jungle Deuce.
The black dog, who was having his first start at Albion Park, is a three-time group race finalist, and is overdue for a break-through black-type win having placed third in two Group 3 finals.
Daysea's Rowdy (Sennachie x Kealoah), trained by Darryl McGrath, was only having his third start at Albion Park over 600m, where he has so far finished second twice.
His only black-type race appearance was in the 2022 Listed Mick Byrne Memorial final over 520m at Albion Park, where he finished third.
The box draw for the 2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase final was conducted after the last heat and has delivered ‘comeback king' Keen a chance at defending his 2022 Carnival Chase title, having drawn the prized red box one draw.
With a balanced field of four interstate greyhounds, and four locally trained chasers, NSW greyhound Palawa King will get every chance in next week's final having drawn the extreme outside box eight.
2023 Group 3 Carnival Chase Final
2023 Carnival Chase Box Draw & FieldAlbion Park600mGroup 3$60,000 to-the-winnerThursday June 8 2023
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1 Keen
T: Brent KlineF: 6611Career: 80: 21-10-9Prizemoney: $128,485
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2 Adulate
T: Tony ZammitF: 1331Career: 46: 14-8-11Prizemoney: $87,370
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3 On The Off
T: Tim BrittonF: 6572Career: 53: 14-11-9Prizemoney: $110,220
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4 Daysea's Rowdy
T: Darryl McGrathF: 6122Career: 32: 8-12-5Prizemoney: $92,300
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5 Wheel And Go
T: Tim BrittonF: 1312Career: 49: 10-10-4Prizemoney: $63,295
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6 Hara's River
T: Jemma DaleyF: 4122Career: 37: 16-9-2Prizemoney: $105,400
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7 Zoha Bale
T: Mark DelbridgeF: 5112Career: 35: 10-8-6Prizemoney: $68,325
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8 Palawa King
T: Ray SmithF: 3331Career: 34: 13-6-6Prizemoney: $122,980
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9 Zipping Orlando
T: John FinnF: 1233Career: 30: 15-3-6Prizemoney: $720,835
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10 Ailee Bale
T: Mark DelbridgeF: 2213Career: 42: 12-9-10Prizemoney: $112,225
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