Size Can Matter A Class Above In Platinum Paws
Size Can Matter confirmed his favouritism for Friday nights Platinum Paws Final with an impressive all the way 30.14 win at Addington on Friday night.
Size Can Matter and Magic Spike were standout performers in the Platinum Paws Semi Finals while some high profile Australian runners were were absolute failures.
The first semi final saw the Troy Murray trained SA representative, Jaykayell, give them a galloping lesson from his box five draw, to lead all the way running 30.31.
The race favourite and pre race hype surrounding the WA seeded runner Octanol, lasted just five metres of the 520 metre journey as the Dave Hobby trained dog received a check from the boxes and never got hot from his box three draw, trailing out to last where he stayed for the entire journey.
The David Scholfield trained, Yambla Jack ran home well for the locals to secure the second place and a run in next weeks final.
Semi final two saw a little Dave Irwin magic, as he produced Size Can Matter to better his 30.30 heat win, running 30.14 and never looking threatened at any point, winning by a comfortable five lengths from the Mal Grant trained, Smash Palace.
NSW representative Comfortably Numb was outclassed and all at sea in his run, finishing last of the seven to cross the finish line. Victorian representative Cosmic Pharoah, was never a winning hope but fell early and failed to finish after fracturing a toe.
Magic Spike was one of the more impressive winners on the night. The recent NZ Waterloo Cup winner secured his win with a determined run to catch pacemaker Atlantic Bale within the shadows of the post. Trained by Steve Clark, Magic Spike went .04 quicker than Paltinum Paws Series favourite Size Can Matter, running 30.10 and beating Atlantic Bale by one length.
The hype surrounding the Angela Langton trained Que Sera Sera, seemed unjustified as the bitch failed to fire a shot despite a good beginning and finished last.
Express Rhode provided the upset of the Platinum Paws Semi Finals, producing a sustained run to grab a deserved 30.64 win over Lynlea's King by 1.75 lengths, coming from sixth early to run down the the fading Tasmanian representative Akka Boy, who could not run out the distance and finished fourth after leading. The other Australian representative, Beverage, finished fifth.
Three Australian and five New Zealand trained greyhounds will face the boxes in the Platinum Paws Final, with little seperating race favourites, Size Can Matter for Australia and Magic Spike for New Zealand. Both have faired well in the box draw and Friday's final should see them fighting the finish out.
GOLD BAND FINANCE PLATINUM PAWS
Friday October 17 Addington Raceway, Christchurch
Race 6 8.33pm $250,000 520m Special
1 714142 ATLANTIC BALE Craig Roberts (Canterbury)
2 111525 YAMBLA JACK David Schofield (Waikato)
3 114411 SIZE CAN MATTER Dave Irwin (Queensland)
4 142612 SMASH PALACE Malcolm Grant (Canterbury)
5 136132 LYNLEA'S KING Angela Langton (Victoria)
6 316131 EXPRESS RHODE Wayne Steele (Waikato)
7 311111 MAGIC SPIKE Steve Clark (Auckland)
8 684711 JAYKAYELL Troy Murray (South Australia)
Reserves
9 243123 RIDDLE MAN Ben Craik (Auckland)
10 812713 HEAR THE CHEERS Alan Williams (Canterbury)