Tzouvelis trains a winning litter sister double in Ipswich Futurity heats
When the boxes rise next week for the 2023 Listed Ipswich Futurity Final, trainer Tom Tzouvelis will have two chances after a pair of littermates took out their heats on Saturday night.
Trained by Tzouvelis from his Park Ridge kennel, Scarlatti and Saanvi took out their respective heats over the Ipswich 520m, with the latter in the best time.
In the first of three heats, Saanvi jumped from the pink box as a +240 joint race favourite with Mrs Musgrave.
Soon after box rise, Saanvi found herself in second with Bantam Magic terms from the front as they turned the first corner.
Saanvi traveled wide to sweep past the leader and ran on to beat Bantam Magic by 1.25 lengths in the time of 30.41.
2023 Listed Ipswich Futurity Heat 1 – Saanvi (30.41) T: Tom Tzouvelis
She will now have a shot at the $30,000-to-the-winner contest next week with her full-sister Scarlatti, who also qualified by winning her heat.
Scarlatti was sent out as the +125 favourite with greyhound betting sites in the third heat of the Futurity.
Jumping from the inside draw, she came out fairly with Sara's Tiger (+4000) at the head of the field.
Off the final corner, Jen's Joy came into the rail to move up and challenge, before Scarlatti ran on out wide and stormed past them both to win.
She beat Jen's Joy by 3.0 lengths in 30.53, improving on her previous winning time of 31.00.
2023 Listed Ipswich Futurity Heat 3 – Scarlatti (30.53) T: Tom Tzouvelis
From a 2021 litter of seven by Superior Panama out of Sherbini, Saanvi has had four wins and seven placings from 13 career starts, while litter-sister Scarlatti has notched up three wins and four placings from 11 starts.
The winner of the only other heat was Jewel Bee who started as a +320 prospect for trainer Ray Burman.
At box-rise, Kia Kaha (+180) shot out straight to the lead from the five box as they turned the first corner.
As the field turned into the home straight though, Jewel Bee ran on to overtake the leader and would beat home Tom Tzouvelis-trained Fancy Gift ($15) by 6.75 lengths in 30.52.
2023 Listed Ipswich Futurity Heat 2 – Jewel Bee (30.52) T: Ray Burman
Armed with a personal best of 30.35 over the Ipswich 520m journey, Jewel Bee is the most credentialed of the three winners.
From of a 2021 litter of nine by Sennachie out Champagne Sally, Jewel Bee is the second most successful, with Blue Hornet being the 2023 Group 3 State Of Origin Distance final runner-up behind Palawa King.
Blue Hornet has won 20 times from 55 starts and banked $183,205 in prizemoney.
Jewel Bee herself has recorded 11 wins and 21 minor placings from 62 career starts and has earned $84,675 for connections.