Road To Nationals Starts Tonight
The Rapidvite National Series kicks off tonight, with state heats at Sandown, Angle Park and Albion Park. Sandown is host to four very even Victorian sprint heats. The first is a ‘Battle of the Bitches', with four of the best females in the land clashing. Sonador (box one), Keeko Bale (box three), Finlandia (box four) and Que Sera Sera (box six) are all capable of winning the final and they all have great records at the track and over the distance.
In heat two, nominal Victorian series favourite Trew Millions (box five) goes around against Sandown Shootout winner Cool Effort (box one) as well as rising stars Vellocette (box three) and Moganbo (box seven).
Group one Australian Cup winner, Tasman Queen (box six) heads up heat three against the inform Paragon Patch (box seven) and All Caution (box eight). The final qualifier has been robbed of one of it's major draw cards in Bo Frazier, but it is still a very strong heat with Bo Frazier's litter brother Talk's Cheap (box four) to clash with the strong Bliksem (box two), group one winner Ashby Bale (box seven) and Golden Easter Egg place getter, One Tree Hill (box eight).
The four heats at Sandown will be the four legs of the Quaddie on all Australia TAB's.
The Queensland sprint series at Albion Park are small but select fields. Wentworth Park Track record holder, Queen Lauryn (box two) goes up against the group one Perth Cup winner Size Can Matter (box five) in heat one.
In the second heat, the National Futurity winner Elite Oriental (box one) will take on kennel mate and recent group one Winter Cup victor, Made To Size. As well as being the Australia's latest group one winner, Made To Size also holds the Albion Park 520 metre track record.
Elite Oriental's litter mate, Knocka Norris (box six) looks the greyhound to beat in the final qualifier, with two vacant boxes on his inside. Hardest to beat will be Tricode Flojo from box two.
Whilst Nicely Done, looks the best chance in the Queensland distance heats, drawing box one in race one. The daughter of Surf Lorian and Nice Portrait turned in a dominate performance in her first race start since the end of June, winning by 10 and ¾ lengths in the President's Cup at Albion Park last Thursday night.
There are some good clashes in store at Angle Park in the distance heats. In the first, Veteran rivals Token Ned and Ling Wah will take on the young gun Elegant Vintage.
Elegant Vintage has put three wins on end together, but will face the 710 metre trip for the first time.
In the second heat, Le Grand Bale looks to hold all the aces, but if Saxon's Back, which is as naturally talented as any greyhound in South Australia, can find his best form they'll know he's in the race. Trainer Troy Murray said Saxon's Back has trialled well twice going into the series, but will still be under done.
With Scull Murphy on the sideline, the South Australian sprint heats look the most open of all the states, with virtually any runner capable of making it through to the next round and ultimately representing SA in Sydney.
A representative from every state of Australia will qualify for the $50,000 to the winner Grand Finals of the Rapidvite National Sprint and Distance Championships at Sydney's famous Wentworth Park circuit on Saturday, August 30, hosted by the NSW GBOTA.