Sober Meredith sets benchmark in Young Guns heats
Sober Meredith stamped her ticket into the Rockhampton Young Guns Final with the fastest time of the heats on Wednesday night.
In the second of two 407m heats, the Rob Weeding-trained chaser lined up paying $6 with greyhound bookmakers.
At box rise, Mr O’Sullivan ($2.60) got out to lead, before Little Spyro ($2.50) punched through on the rail to take the lead.
Sober Meredith travelled wide storming over the top of the leader to win by a length in a time of 23.74, beating home Little Spyro and Mr O’Sullivan.
The run slashed down Sober Meredith’s previous best of 23.86, clocked on July 12, when she beat home Key Piece by two and a half lengths.
Sober Meredith kicked off her career on February 22 over the Rockhampton 407m, finishing seventh from an eight-dog field.
It would take her four starts to break her maiden, when on June 14 she beat home Sakura Sky by a dominant 11.5 lengths.
She has gone on to have 10 runs over the track and trip for three wins and two placings as she heads into the Rocky Young Guns final.
The Orson Allen x Kisses For Cloda bitch has four wins and two placings from 12 career starts and has banked $8,950 for connections.
In the first heat, Mark Sure Can ($5) took the win, holding off a late challenge.
From the jump, race favourite Phantom Star ($1.80) used the inside rail to get the lead, before Mark Sure Can came across to take over at the front.
Mark Sure Can swung the first corner by five lengths on Mini Star ($5.50) who chased strongly in second.
Into the home straight, the Dallas Beckett-trained Mini Star came late cutting into the margin, but Mark Sure Can held off the challenge to win.
The Christine Pollard-trained winner beat home Mini Star and another Beckett-trained chaser in Grand Riku by three-quarters-of-a-length, in a time of 23.84.
Mark Sure Can has a personal best time over the track and trip of 23.73, showing he is capable heading into the Final.
He kicked off his career on May 16 over the shorter 395m distance at Albion Park and saluted by one-and-a-quarter lengths, in front of Cosmic Camper.
For his Brisbane experience of three runs, a win and a placing, he was trained by Sandra Hunt before moving to the Christine Pollard kennel in August as he moved north.
Since moving to Rockhampton, Mark Sure Can has notched up a hattrick winning all three runs with Pollard over the 407m trip.
The Slick x Sure You Can dog has four wins and one placing from six career starts and has banked $8,835 for winning connections.
The Rockhampton Young Guns 407m Final will be run on August 30 and carries $7,700 in prize money.