Dash Of Blue could be the knockout dog to upset Could Be King’s Shane McQueen claim
In the rapidly approaching climax of the 2023 Shane McQueen series, the eyes of many are eagerly set upon the anticipated feature event this Thursday evening (tonight) at Angle Park.
Over the span of 595 meters, the hotly contested final is expected to be an exceptional culmination of four fiercely competitive heats from the previous week.
Ben Rawlings' prodigy Could Be King emerged as the fastest qualifier, proving his worth as one of the state's finest middle-distance racers.
Despite the weather's adverse impact on the track, Could Be King managed to clock a swift 34.42 in his heat.
This impressive performance rightly positions him as a leading contender in the imminent final.
Yet, it was the Richard Pearce-trained Dash Of Blue that truly turned heads during the heats.
A career-defining race found him nearly outpacing Could Be King.
Dash Of Blue's steady progression to this level of competition, coupled with recent strong form, has made his remarkable heat performance less of a surprise.
His stellar finishing run of 12.90 last week is bound to unsettle a few competitors this Thursday.
2023 Shane McQueen Heat 4 (Angle Park, 530m) – Could Be King (34.42) (Dash Of Blue 2nd)
Despite the challenges posed by box one, not his ideal draw, a successful navigation could transform him into a formidable adversary.
Pearce, his trainer, voiced his satisfaction with Dash Of Blue's performance during the heats, particularly noting the significant ground he covered in the race's middle stages.
Pearce highlighted his concern about Dash Of Blue's penchant for external space and the potential need for early luck but remained hopeful for a successful race.
Greyhound punters have priced Could Be King a +135 favourite with greyhound bookmakers to win tonight's $10,000 to-the-winner final, while Dash Of Blue is on the third line of greyhound betting odds at +400.
Pearce's future plans include pushing Dash Of Blue's boundaries to the 730m distance.
Given his half-brother Bedrock Fred's past achievements over such a distance, there are high expectations that Dash Of Blue could also see significant success in this arena.