Lagogiane hoping for a French Martini party in Paws Of Thunder
Peter Lagogiane believes French Martini is poised to finish her on-track career with at least a second Group title, and there’s a good chance that could come in the Paws Of Thunder.
The two-year-old bitch goes into her heat over 520m as the $2.10 favourite with Palmerbet at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
And after breaking 24 seconds in a 450m trial, she appears back to her Black Top Final-winning best from October last year.
With 12 wins from 25 starts and over $144,000 in prizemoney, this could be her last chance to be a Group 1 winner on her home track.
“Talking to Adam Brandt the owner, he doesn’t want her to have too many starts,” Lagogiane told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“She’s going to be a breeding proposition. He’s already got plenty of interest in her and her (prospective) pups.
“So we’ll just take on the Paws Of Thunder, and then I think we’ll head to Brisbane after that.
“Then I’ll sit down and have a chat with Adam and see what he wants to do.”
If French Martini was to be retired soon, Lagogiane believes she has the form to go out as a major feature winner.
He was delighted with her trial time of 23.98 over 450m at Wentworth Park on Tuesday night.
it reminded him of when she broke The Gardens’ track record over 515m with a time of 28.96 seconds in her Black Top heat on September 30 last year, before taking out the Group 2 final in 29.40 seconds.
What’s more, her sizzling trial time was on a slow track at the historic Glebe venue.
“It was a pretty slow track on Tuesday night. That was why I said she’s back to her best,” Lagogiane said.
“I believe they turned it on Sunday. There were a few trainers in a bit of turmoil on Tuesday complaining about the track.
“I put a couple of youngsters on it who I had a bit of an opinion of and they went pretty slow.
“And then she came out and broke 24. That indicated to me that she was back to where she was previously on a track which I thought was a little bit underdone.
“She still came out and did that, and her run home was enormous. So I’m led to believe that she’s back to her best.”
With French Martini to start from an ideal No.2 lane, her battle with Million Dollar Chase winner McInerney one outside her before the first turn will be an intriguing one.
“He got one up on us on Million Dollar Chase Night, so we’re looking to avenge that,” Lagogiane said.
“He’s a great dog in his own right.
“Back to full fitness and she’s well boxed with a couple of wide runners on her outside.
“So I hope she can begin like she can, and not the way she has been, and I think she’ll be very competitive.”
One of those quality wide runners will be Gatlin for Minnie and John Finn from box seven, with $4.40 winning odds.
“I think the speed will come from out wide from Gatlin – the seven dog,” Lagogiane said.
“If he begins on terms we know he can run around the 5.30 or 5.40 mark for the first section.
“He could cause a bit of mayhem crossing the three and the four.”
Lagogiane said French Martini was back to full fitness after her draining Topgun and Melbourne Cup heat campaigns, where she finished seventh and fifth respectively last November.
Now that she has rediscovered her winning mentality, the Sydney conditioner believes his two-year-old bitch will be hard to beat on Saturday night if she finds an unobstructed inside position early.
“Melbourne took a bit out of her with the travel. She’s a bitch who just needs room in the first 30 metres, barring interference to the first turn,” Lagogiane said.
“She just needs a clear run because her second sectionals on her runs home have been outstanding.”
French Martini Odd’s In Paws of Thunder Heat 3 At Wentworth Park
Race 7 –
Form: 765134 | Career: 25: 12-0-3 | Trainer: Peter Lagogiane