2014 Richmond Oaks Heats Preview
Four sensational heats of the $20,000 Richmond Oaks will highlight Saturday night's Richmond meeting, with last week's Group Two Ladies Bracelet winner Zipping Willow the standout performer in heat three. Last year's Oaks winner Calm Model will step out in the final heat and aim to go back-to-back for trainer Clay Mullens.
Heat one contains plenty of last start winners, however Smashing Sally has good early pace and has a brilliant record at Richmond with two wins from three starts, including a flying personal best of 30.45. The Neil Falk trained chaser can overcome box five to salute in this event. Dean Swain's Eleazar drops back in distance after a solid campaign over the 720m, where she recorded a speedy 42.37, and is ideally drawn in drawn in box two. Ready To Riot comes off an outstanding performance at Wentworth Park last month, clocking 29.71 over the 520m for in-form trainer Anthony Azzopardi.
Group One National Futurity winner Rue De Kahn comes off a brilliant win at Wentworth Park in 29.64 and will exit from box six with good early pace in heat two. The Dean Swain trained greyhound has eight wins from fifteen starts and is looking to crack the $100,000 prizemoney barrier. Asha Tanga has a sizzling personal best at Richmond of 30.32 and produced a wonderful win at Maitland last Thursday in 25.15 over the 450m. This greyhound can be a risky beginner, however has great pace once she balances up and can steal this for trainer Maureen Sharman. Jason Mackay's Zipping Delta has been down on form lately, with her last victory back in March over the 565m at Maitland. She has a huge advantage exiting from box one and is no stranger to success at the track with two wins from four starts.
Group Two Ladies Bracelet winner Zipping Willow is perfectly drawn in box eight for heat three and comes off a blistering win at Wentworth Park last week in 29.44. Debuting at the track for Jason Mackay, the winner of eighteen races is looking for her fourth straight win and is the early favourite to take out next week's final. Black Empress is unbeaten around the Richmond circuit and was very impressive in a 30.67 win here last month. Despite drawing box four, this bitch has terrific early pace and can push for a finals berth. Chica Destacada is slowly regaining the form that saw her burst onto the scene at Wentworth Park at the beginning of the year and will need to be at her best from box five to test this field. The Doreen Drynan trained chaser has a good Richmond record of two wins from five starts and will be hard to beat if she reproduces her best.
The final heat sees promising Queensland pup Visualize It making the trip down from the Sunshine State with solid Albion Park form under her belt. The Peter Young trained bitch recorded 30.16 over the 520m last month, and does have genuine early pace to overcome the tricky box six. Anthony Azzopardi has another talented runner engaged with Kulu Special exiting from box three. Before falling in the Dubbo Cup final last month, this bitch won four three of her past four starts including a flying 29.72 performance at Wentworth Park. If the fall hasn't affected her mindset, look for her to lead all the way and record a fast personal best on debut at the track. Last year's Oaks winner Calm Model returns for another crack at the winner's purse for trainer Clay Mullens, however she has been struggling of late with her last victory back in September of last year. She has a flying personal best of 30.48 at the track and will need to run this sort of time again to be any hope of making the final.
Heat one will be run and won at 7.44pm, with the winner and second placegetter moving through to next week's $20,000 final.