Moraine Suzie stakes quickest time in 2023 Group 1 Bold Trease heats
Moraine Suzie franked the recent Topgun Stayers form and made a strong comeback to Group 1 racing, qualifying fastest for the 2023 Group 1 Bold Trease final at Sandown Park on Saturday night.
The reigning Victorian Stayer of the Year made a determined run from back in the field to overhaul 2023 Group 1 Topgun Stayers winner Ritza Piper, who was attempting to lead all the way, late in the home straight.
Moraine Suzie was the 2022 Group 1 Topgun Stayers winner at The Meadows and will be joined in the Bold Trease final by the 2023 winner, Ritza Piper, whom she finished runner-up to in 2023.
Under the guidance of Lara trainer Brendan Pursell, Moraine Suzie started the +180 race favourite with greyhound bookmakers, and finished with such a surge that she won by 1.34 lengths in a time of 41.69 seconds.
2023 Group 1 Bold Trease Heat 3 – Moraine Suzie (41.69) T: Brendan Pursell
The victory marked Moraine Suzie's 17th win from a career of 54 starts that has also netted 18 placings.
The daughter of My Redeemer and Miss Bo Wicked has an exceptional record at the Sandown 715m trip, having won five of eight starts there, although she could only manage sixth in the 2022 Bold Trease final at the same track and distance.
New South Wales-owned and Queensland-trained stayer Valpolicella was the next fastest Bold Trease heat winner, leading all the way in 41.70 to beat the fast-finishing Zoha Bale.
Trained by Tony Zammit, Valpolicella started the race as the +290 second favourite behind Zoha Bale who was backed in to +110 favourite on greyhound betting apps prior to the jump.
Valpolicella defeated Zoha Bale by 2.49 lengths in a time of 41.71 seconds with both greyhounds making it through to next week's $105,000 to-the-winner final.
2023 Group 1 Bold Trease Heat 2 – Valpolicella (41.70) T: Tony Zammit
Valpolicella's win took her career record to 16 wins from 31 starts with a further 11 placings.
Mrs Avenger was the third fastest Bold Trease heats winner clocking 41.76 in another lead all the way effort for Victorian trainer George Borg.
The veteran of just 23 race starts was only making her second staying race attempt in the heat and is bound to improve further for next week's final.
The daughter of Hooked On Scotch and Lady Avenger was making her group racing debut in the Group 1 heats, and punters let her go to the boxes as the rank outsider in the race, paying +3880 at greyhound betting sites.
Mrs Avenger will be joined in the final by the ever-popular runner-up, Untapped, who is defying retirement by racing in almost career-best form.
Trained at Warrnambool by Dusty Drew, Untapped will now be racing in her third Bold Trease final and her fifth Group 1 715m race final at Sandown.
It is fitting that the daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Mepunga Fame will be looking to improve her third in the 2021 Bold Trease final and add the race title named after the ‘Warrnambool Warrior' to her 2022 Group 1 Sandown Cup win.
If Bold Trease is quite rightly reknowned as the ‘Warrnambool Warrior', then Untapped could justify taking the moniker of the ‘Warrnambool Wonder' should she be able to secure a second Sandown 715m Group 1 final as a rising four-and-a-half-year-old.
2023 Group 1 Bold Trease Heat 4 – Mrs Avenger (41.76) T: George Borg
The extremely good record of bitches in this year's Bold Trease heats was on display in the opening heat when unheralded Get Ready Dora was able to hold off the powerful late challenge from NSW stayer Palawa King.
Racing in her first black-type group racing series and making her staying debut, Get Ready Dora led all the way, setting up a big lead that narrowly held down to the line, beating Palawa King by 0.10 lengths in 42.08.
Trained by Michelle Nolan, the daughter of Zambora Brockie and Fancy Minter was sent to the boxes as an +1020 chance to win the opening heat behind race favourite Palawa King, who was paying just -333.33 in the field of six runners.
2023 Group 1 Bold Trease Heat 1 – Get Ready Dora (42.08) T: Michelle Nolan
Get Ready Dora has now had just 25 starts for 10 wins and six placings, earning connections $53,375 in prizemoney.
Get Ready Dora will be one of six female greyhounds in the 2023 Group 1 Bold Trease final, with Palawa King and Zoha Bale representing the males.
The box draw for next week's final was conducted after the heats, and has set the Group 1 race final up for an exciting finish, with plenty of speed drawn toward the inside and noted ‘run-on' greyhounds Moraine Suzie and Palawa King drawn outside the likely early speed.
2023 Group 1 Bold Trease Final
2023 Bold Trease Box Draw & FieldSandown715mGroup 1$105,000 to-the-winnerSaturday, December 2, 2023
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1 Zoha Bale
T: Mark DelbridgeF: 1412Career: 56: 22-10-8Prizemoney: $187,840
+150
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2 Valpolicella
T: Tony ZammitF: 1451Career: 31: 16-6-5Prizemoney: $134,225
+380
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3 Untapped
T: Dusty DrewF: 1722Career: 73: 20-12-14Prizemoney: $371,178
+1100
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4 Moraine Suzie
T: Brendan PursellF: 2121Career: 54: 17-10-8Prizemoney: $333,445
+320
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5 Get Ready Dora
T: Michelle NolanF: 1111Career: 25: 10-4-2Prizemoney: $53,735
+3000
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6 Mrs Avenger
T: George BorgF: 6551Career: 23: 5-2-2Prizemoney: $27,790
+1200
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7 Palawa King
T: Ray SmithF: 7342Career: 52: 21-9-9Prizemoney: $551,905
+550
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8 Ritza Piper
T: Paul BartoloF: 1212Career: 41: 15-8-5Prizemoney: $244,030
+800
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| Reserves | |
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9 Savic
T: Bruce StirlingF: 3243Career: 13: 4-1-2Prizemoney: $16,221
+1700
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10 Big Suzie
T: James ShawF: 1243Career: 34: 6-11-2Prizemoney: $46,020
+2200
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Odds correct at time of publication