Auckland Greyhound

TV3 Hounds Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar Final

The time honoured Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar, sponsored this year by TV3 Hounds is due for dispatch at 5.16pm. This race is the ultimate test of stamina and this years field is just as strong as ever.  The Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar has been one of the most sort after races to win. The only dog to win the great race twice, and they were not consecutive years was Tivoli Tom trained by the late and great Pat Paterson.

The question many people are asking is who has improved since the heats and who has not recovered from the gruelling 779m trip. Last weeks heats were eventful with favourites in both heats being beaten soundly. Firstly Opawa Patty an ultra consistent stayer was able to hold out the brilliant Awesome Bender heat favourite, unfortunately it was later discovered that Awesome Bender had picked up an injury during the race and was pulled out from the final. It must be said that Awesome Bender's heat run had to be share guts on his behalf considering he injured himself during the running of his heat, he will be missed in the final as he would have been a force to watch. Thrilling Reign a half brother to previous winner Varvatos and Bandanna Pete for Lisa Ahern made up the first four to qualify form heat one for the final.

Many people on course witnessed a freakish performance from the inform Karen Walsh kennels when Thrilling Quest conquered her field running a new track record of 46.08 blitzing her next rival by 8 lengths. This run was extraordinary and if repeated in the final will most likely see her victorious. Dave and Jean Fahey qualified another two in this heat with Speed Ticket and Nina's Girl filling in the place spots. Swift Fantasy the race favourite and last years winner stunned the punters when she was only able to manage a fourth placing. However she can't be discounted on that run alone as she has in the past won races that seemed impossible from the position she was in during the running, if anyone can deliver a fairy tale ending it would be Swift Fantasy. Thrilling Frank makes up the final eight and gives the Karen Walsh, Gary Harding combination a strong hand in the final. Good Luck to all finalists.

Don't forget it is bonus weekend an impressive $20,000 goes into the quaddie pool, $5,000 to the first four on the Collar and pick6 has a guaranteed starting pool of $30,000. There is plenty of good money on offer. Pilli's Picks will be updated by Sunday- Check out his latest picks.

Pictured- Heat winner Opawa Patty

Pictured- Heat winner Thrilling Quest

 

Have A Yap wins the Auckland Oaks supported by NZ Breast Cancer

From the moment Have A Yap started racing in New Zealand she displayed the making of a rising star and added the Auckland Oaks to an already impressive record, which includes a brave third in the 2011 Auckland Cup behind champion greyhounds Little Mother and Winsome Opawa. That was only her 20th start in New Zealand. Have a Yap is a black bitch out of Collision- Token Whiz and is owned by Denis Schofield and trained by his son David Schofield. The Steve Clark trained Core Power ran a solid second with Blue Jean Alice running a brave third for Keith and Penny Sutch Jones. Since the running of the Auckland Oaks final Have A Yap has added another win to her impressive record winning the open class race on Thursday night taking her win total to 17 wins and $38,000 in stakes. Blue Jean Alice won a heat of the NZ Breeders staged at Wanganui on Friday night and will contest the $25,000 final next Friday night all the best to the connections of Blue Jean Alice.

Pictured: Have A Yap after the Auckland Oaks final.

TV3 Hounds Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar Heats and NZBCF Fundraiser day

A great card of racing has been assembled for this Sunday 05.06.11. We have the TV3 Hounds Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar heats carded along with The Auckland Oaks for NZ Breast Cancer stakes and The Battle of the Sexes final plus a strong supporting card to entertain our supporters from 2.38pm-6.01pm.

The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation does tremendous work throughout the year to assist not only the people who suffer from Breast Cancer but also their families and friends. We will be going all out to raise a significant amount of funding for this most worthwhile cause. A big thank you to our race day sponsors this Sunday [$250 per race, all donated to NZBCF]. To those who have purchased tables with a betting voucher [$200] included, with the proceeds of the betting going to NZBCF a huge vote of thanks, may your betting be hugely successful. To the many others who have booked tables thank you for your support your table donation will go toward our goal of making this day a good day of fundraising.

The Club acknowledges TV3 and their up coming TV series HOUNDS, for their support of this years Silver Collar. To the greyhound racing purist, this remains the ultimate of all races to win. The first heat is race 9 at 4.40pm with Awesome Bender making his debut over the 779m. Awesome Bender has proven himself as not only a quality stayer but also a leading middle distance dog having won 28 races from 50 race starts with earnings of $86,000 for Jean and Dave Fahey a name famous for winning at group level. Jean and Dave Fahey also have the ultra consistent Opawa Patty and Sofia's Girl engaged in heat one. Bandanna Pete has had two starts in NZ over the middle distance and on both occasions found the line strongly. Bandanna Pete has raced and won over 700m in Australia and lines up for the powerful Ahern kennels. Smokin' Ichiban came to NZ with a reputation as one to watch for the Silver Collar and delivered a stylish victory at Cambridge on the 21st April winning the Teresa McDonald Cup over 747m the balance of the field have proven themselves as worthy opponents but will have to be on the A game to beat the likes of Awesome Bender. The second heat kicks off at Race 10 5.23pm all eyes will be on last years winner Swift Fantasy who has proven herself to not only be one of the best stayers to grace New Zealand, she has also been able to generate interest from the public with her racing tactics. Swift Fantasy is unbeaten at Auckland and will be tough to beat this Sunday. The inform Karen Walsh kennel lines up Thrilling Quest and Thrilling Frank who have been performing well over distance since being stepped up over ground and Arch Lawrence a great supporter of distance racing has Glorianna and Girl Charm engaged in heat two. All the best to all involved in the 2011 TV3 Hounds Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar.

Pictured: Swift Fantasy

Another feature on the card is the Auckland Oaks for NZ Breast Cancer final. A nice field has been selected for this final with four class five dogs leading the pack. Have A Yap enjoys racing at Auckland and has established herself as the one to beat with 19 starts on the track for 11 wins and 5 minor placing's. This field is very even with the start looking to determine who will be victorious at the finish. The oncourse commissions from this race will be donated to NZBCF.

Lastly the Battle of the Sexes Final a restricted age race will be a race of interest with four bitches taking on four dogs. Paul Freeman and Angela Turnwald line up three good chances with Tinysaurus, Big Gift and Stiff. Also lining up are litter mates Rolled Oats and Gentle Attack who are part of the well performed Zac Attack- Gentle Lee litter.

The supporting card is fulled with quality chasers and will provide good betting opportunities- check out Pilli's Picks for the latest tips.

PICK6 Jackpot $25,000

This Sunday sees a jackpot situation with Pick6 after Wizard Appeal destroyed a vast number of punters hopes last week, when scoring his upset victory for trainer Gerry Darcy.

Last weeks Misty Anna heat was won by Jetsun Genes who lead all the way and held gamely from the fast finishing Elephunk, Fancy Milly held third ahead of Beatrix Kiddo. The Misty Anna series has highlighted some talented bitches who will be looking to add the Auckland Oaks to their resumes. The Auckland Oaks heats are scheduled for next Sunday.

Tinysaurus showed that size doesn't matter when beating the inform Terry Stanley last week. Tinysaurus competes against Terry Stanley this Sunday who will be looking to turn the result around. Ron O'Regan continues his good recent success bagging a double last week with Cha Cha Chainsaw and Surfing Al.

This week we have two good heats for the Battle of the Sexes, a very strong class five sprint and an even field of class four and five middle distance chasers- Check out Pilli's Picks for the latest pick6 selections.

We are also getting closer to the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar. Don't forget on Sunday 5th June we will be holding a fundraiser for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. There will be good entertainment provided with the Auckland Oaks Final, Battle of the Sexes Final and the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar heats. Your support for this worthy cause would be hugely appreciated. Please visit our upcoming events page for more information or check in with the office at the next race meeting. We would like to make a significant contribution to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and can only do this with your help and participation.

Good Luck and Good Punting!

New Restricted Age record for Thrilling Brat and Winsome Rite wins for Ron Smith

Thrilling Brat won the Thornton Auctions Derby final in style yesterday afternoon setting a new restricted age record running 30.01 over the 527, In his limited career Thrilling Brat has raced on nine occasions for six wins and two placing's and stake earnings of $22170.50. Thrilling Brat commenced his racing career by winning a heat and final of the Te Awamutu Self Storage Final at Cambridge Raceway last December he then made the long trip to Addington Raceway and came away victorious when winning the Group two Robbie's Bar and Bistro Futurity final earning him $11,040 in the process. Thrilling Brat is owned and breed by Gary Harding with Karen Walsh doing the training. This bloke looks to have a bright future and is definitely one to watch . Karen also prepared the winner of the first race Thrilling Halo to make it two winners from as many starters.

Pictured- Karen Walsh with Thrilling Brat and Brad Jackson from Thornton Aucitons

Winsome Rite returned to winning form for her owners and trainers Ron, John  and Mark Smith. It was a great result for Ron as he celebrated his 80th Birthday yesterday and was the sponsor of the race. Ron O'Regan produced a couple of good winners yesterday with Cha Cha Chainsaw over coming a slow start to win easily in the Reel Fishin.com class one heats and Surfing Al cruised away for a strong win in the Magness Benrow Stakes running a very handy 30.53.

Frizzle Frazzle, Beatrix Kiddo and Glow Belle Doll all backed up from Thursday to win again on Sunday.

Pick 6 was struck with over four units picking up $7609.30

Thornton Auctions Auckland Derby Final and $26,000 Pick6

This Sunday sees a jackpot situation with Pick6 having a guaranteed pool of $25,000. The fields are rather open with no leg looking to have a stand out anchor. The feature of the day is the Thornton Auctions Auckland Derby Final race 9 at 4.32pm. A very good field has been assembled with last weeks heat winners Rybenbrook Josh out of the five and the impressive heat winner Mr. Chino out of the seven. There is plenty of speed on the inside with Hong Kong Louie out of the one and litter brother Ollie Fonz out of the three trap. Regent Hurricane this years NZ Derby winner will leave the eight trap. There are also Carols TAB Sprint heats on the card along with four ReelFishin.com class one sprint heats. A longtime member of the Auckland Greyhound Racing Club is celebrating his 80th Birthday and is the sponsor of race seven Ron Smith 80 today. All the best to Ron whom has a runner engaged in the race with Winsome Rite.

Last Thursday night provided Steve Clark with his 100th training success for the season and also provided him with three winners from three starters. Terry Stanley in fine form at present made it four successive wins in a row, Moody Man won easily taking him to open grade and Glow Belle Doll jumped and lead all the way in the Trophies Plus sprint. Another highlight on the night was the training sucess of Gary Noakes who won races nine and twelve, Gary mentioned this as being the first time he has saluted the judge on two occasions in the one night.

Thornton Auction Auckland Derby Heats

This Sunday begins the campaign for the Thornton Auctions Auckland Derby title. Regent Hurricane the New Zealand Derby winner steps out in heat one (Race 5 3.36pm) against Hong Kong Louie whom finished seventh in the NZ Derby final where only 2 lengths separated the eight finalists. This will be Hong Kong Louie's first attempt over the 527 he has previously impressed over the 318. David Schofield has three runners engaged in heat one with Winsome Buster drawn well to bust a move out of the one and Thursday's winner Buttony Boy leaves the two trap. Regent Hurricane will be pretty in pink looking to add the Auckland Derby to his New Zealand Derby victory. Lisa Ahern is travelling north with a strong team of dog's. Rybenbrook Josh and Three Inch Nail will be having their first look at the track and both contenders have good form leading into this heat. Ascending Force a local runners makes up the field and is a rough chance if he can find some room early. 

Heat two kicks off at 4.29pm and is the second leg of the $15,000 Pick6. David Schofield lines up two charges with Benny Rox out of the two box a debut winner back on the 17th April and Winsome Flash who has a personal best time of 30.49 over the 527. Thrilling Brat has impressed for trainer Karen Walsh winning five of his seven starts earning his connections $17835.50 in the process. Mr Chino for Arch Lawrence will be having his first start on the track and will be storming home late as he tends to get back in his races early. Snow Trail another runner for Lisa Ahern steps out of box three and is one of three open grade runners in the field. John Deed is back to his favoured track and always a danger having won in a best time of 30.39. Ollie Fonz the litter brother to Hong Kong Louie will be having his first attempt over 527 and has won his last two races convincingly at Cambridge. Lastly Triple Tee jumps from the seven where he will be looking to get across to the rails.

If your looking for good quality new and used furniture check out Thornton Auctions www.thorntons.net.nz

There are also two C5 318 races carded with Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway winner Matanuska facing the inform Terry Stanley and the other race will have Hifi Allegro looking to increase her record for the most tote wins in New Zealand. The Magness Benrow Class 5 stakes features Little Mother and the up and coming Have A Yap. The quality does not stop there with many more good races carded for your entertainment.

Pick6 looks challenging and our oncourse punters will need to be at their best to score this week. Good punting everyone and Good luck to the Derby heat contenders.

Pictured: NZ Derby Winner Regent Hurricane with connections.

 

Racing this Sunday 17th April

Last Sunday was hard going for Pick6 punters, especially when Beatrix Kiddo rocked them in the third leg at 45/1 odds. Only 24% of the Pick6 pool was struck so we have a $25K guaranteed pool to gun down this Sunday.Punk Dino carried on his winning ways for trainer David Schofield and one of the smallest greyhounds racing Creamy Rice weighing in at 22kgs scored in the Trophies Plus maiden stakes for Shirley Ross

The C0 and C1 sprint finals are carded this Sunday along with two C5 318 sprints featuring Hifi Allegro and Terry Stanley both exceptional speedsters. A very even class C4/5 527 event is set for race eleven at 5.40pm where two promising bitches in Nonna's Girl and Have A Yap meet to do battle with Machin Shin who has drawn well in the one box. Emblazing returns from a three month injury spell and Fancy Step will step to the line nicely if given the right run.

Race seven is the start of the Pick6 and a nice class 2/3 field has been selected. John Deed is back to his home track as a downgraded dog, Fancy Milly returns to the races after a brief spell and will be looking to continue on her winning ways. Osti's Ruby and Brother Rabbit add some spice for their trainer Glennis Farrell.

This Sunday we see the return of Central District trainers Lisa Ahern and Paul Freeman/Angela Turnwald. The Freeman/Turnwald team have three contestants in the Misty Anna Series heat a feature on the card at 3.16pm. Also featured in this race is Splendourous who has impressed with her two starts to date for leading strike rate trainer Gary Harding.

Punters will need to be on their toes for Pick6 selections. There are some good dogs running around this Sunday and an anchor looks hard to find. Pilli's Picks will be updated on Sunday morning.

Good Luck and Good Punting.

Pictured: John Deed- MTA Auckland Cup final night.

Core Power takes on the Southeners for the NZ Oaks- One live Pick6 unit oncourse at Auckland and Have A Yap wins the Norton Surprise Stakes

There was some great racing at Auckland on Sunday 3rd April. Matilda's Best opened up a great card of racing winning well for his connections. Next up first time starter Play The Whistle hummed along nicely to win by four lengths in a handy 18.79. Race three was won by Fair Movin who moved along nicely from trap rise to the winning line notching up her fifth tote win for the Hare of the dog syndicate. Punk Dino impressed having missed the jump and looked only a place chance swinging for home, but he dug deep and swept up the outside of the leader to win his sixth race from eight starts indicating that this young dog could have a bright future. Elephunk won at nice odds of 9/1 taking out the Sel's TAB Mangere stakes- Sel is a great supporter of Auckland Greyhoung Racing Club and it was great to see him on course yesterday. Then Winsome Sky proved that a down grade can work wonders getting up by a neck to give her supportes something to smile about. Pick6 commenced on race seven with Bengineer carrying a lot of support and he was able to deliver in style for his owners Mike and Linda Martin. Decadent won the second leg giving his owners the Fatty Syndicate two winners for the day. The first upset came in race nine when Willie Windsor lead throughout and gave his trainer Adam Bowen a much deserved win. Next up was Have A Yap in a small field of five. Have A Yap never looked in any danger and gave David Schofield three winners for the day. Have A Yap won the Norton Surprise stakes a race named by the Norton family who surprised their mother for her 60th birthday by naming a race for her. Terry Stanley was back to his best after a month long injury spell dominating the Trophies Pus sprint. The last race of the day was won by the outsider of the field Honour which took most of the Pick6 units out,except once again one of our loyal oncourse punters had a live unit after the sixth leg winning a healty $13k plus. 

We wish the connections of Core Power all the best as she takes on the mighty South for a chance at New Zealand Oaks glory- The New Zealand Oaks Final is on Thursday 14th April box draw available Monday 11th April.      

Sunday wrap-up

Sunday was a very successful sponsorship day arranged by Mark McMillan. Our thanks go to the following sponsors Credit Works, Anything Acrylic, Two Fat Chefs @ Papakura RSA, Sudserella Commercial Laundry, The Informant, Two Fat Cows, Kiara's Gift and South Auckland Motors for making the day so successful. A big thank you to Mark for his input.

* Full contact details for all Club sponsors can be found on this website under Sponsor Tab- Club Sponsors. Please support Club sponsors.

Viburnum winner of the Mark McMillan Stakes

Bingo Starr upset winner first leg Pick6

Racing wise we saw Nonna's Girl trained by Steve Clark take out the South Auckland Motors Stakes holding out Hailey's Agent in the C4/5 527m race. Captain Carlos continued on his winning ways winning the Two Fat Cows Sprint. Steve Clark trained three winners for the day with Moody Man and Ms Tournamental also saluting the judge.

There were a number of upsets tote wise with Bingo Starr knocking Pick6 around on the first leg and Viburnum hurting punters on the fifth leg. But still our oncourse punters shared in a very good payout. We have often mentioned the success that is enjoyed on course with pick6- long may it continue.

We race here again next Sunday and hope for good open fields to challenge the punter's again.

RACING SUNDAY 27.03.11

There are 11 races carded with a couple of the fields little light in numbers, however interesting racing is assured. Pick6 is on races 6-11 and looks to be challenging. The class 4/5 527 has drawn an even field with Thursday's night winner Thrilling Tale starting from the eight trap. Hailey's Agent looks well placed after his fine second behind Sergio in track record time last Sunday at Cambridge. The C5 sprint is a very even field, with any number of the runners holding winning chances.

Thursdays racing saw a very competitive Misty Anna Series heat with seven bitches facing the starter. Fancy Milly caused a minor upset from Blue Jean Alice and Core Power. Captain Carols and Cheverton won the C5 sprints with Mike and Maxine Lozell continuing there winning run.

This Sunday Mark McMillan has arranged seven new sponsors to the Club and we will entertain them. We thank Mark for his efforts as sponsors are a vital ingredient to the Clubs success.

 

Thank you to the following sponsors(Sponsors information can be found under Sponsor TAB)

* Credit Works

* Anything Acrylic

* The 2 Fat Chefs at Papakura RSA

* Sudserella Commercial Laundry LTD

* Informant

* Two Fat Cows

* Kiara's Gift- Reece Plumbing

* South Auckland Motors

 

MISTY ANNA TROPHY SERIES AND OTHER GOOD RACES

Have A Yap and Core Power both finalists in the MTA Auckland Cup lead a tidy heat of the Misty Anna Trophy Series this Thursday night. Have A Yap went a bold race in the MTA Auckland Cup final placing third behind the queen of racing Little Mother and one of New Zealands finest Winsome Opawa. Core Power has proven herself a worthy competitor winning six races at Auckland and Fancy Milly is improving with each race start having won or placed at Auckland on each of her seven race starts. Making up the field are four New Zealand breed bitches. Jetsun Genes has impressed with limited race apperances, Blue Jean Alice is from the promising Zac Attack- Gentle Lee litter. Thrilling Sprat won the first Misty Anna sereis heat in 30.63 and has an impressive win record with six wins from eight starts and Elephunk has proven that she can match it with the good ones if she leads.

The Manukau maiden series final kicks off the card at 4.25pm and Punk Dino on paper looks the one to beat. Jetsun Jules won her heat nicely for new trainer Lionel Jensen. The Brownzy Sport Bar Class one final over 318 is race 6 at 5.55pm with Gentle Lee looking to put five together. There are also two class 5 318 races on the card  and a nice class 3/4 527 anyone of the six chasers is a winning chance. We race here again on Sunday 27th March first race 2.38pm.

* For more information on the Misty Anna trophy series please check the On Track book or website Calender.

LITTLE MOTHER HEADS A BRILLIANT NIGHT OF AUCKLAND CUP RACING

By Peter Fenemor

Little Mother was absolutely scintillating when crushing her opposition in delivering back-to-back MTA Auckland Cup victories at the Manukau Stadium on Thursday night. It was a clean sweep by the Kiwi bred sprinters in the Auckland Co-op Taxies Railway Sprint, which saw Matanuska swoop around the outer. And Swift Fantasy did what she does best when delivering a stunning Magnus Benrow Stayers Cup victory. Pictured: Little Mother after winning her second Auckland Cup

 

AUCKLAND CUP & RAILWAY SPRINT FIELDS FINALIZED- By Peter Fenemor

AUCKLAND CUP AND RAILWAY HEATS THURSDAY- By Peter Fenemor

The Auckland Cup carnival has rolled around again which sees three MTA Auckland Cup heats and six Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint heats being contested at the Manukau Stadium on Thursday night.

Both Lisa Ahern trained Auckland Cup and Railway Sprint winners are back to defend their respective titles, with Little Mother seeking back-to-back Auckland Cups, while Hifi Allegro is chasing down an unprecedented hat trick of Railway Sprint victories.

The first three to finish in the MTA Auckland Cup heats (slowest third will be first reserve and the fastest fourth the second reserve) will return for the March 10 $75,000 final at Group 1 level over 527 metres, while the six Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint heat winners, will be joined by the fastest two seconds in the $20,000 318 metre sprint final (next two fastest seconds will form the reserves bench). Here's a run down on the contenders in each of the heats.

MTA Auckland Cup - heat 1 (race 7, 6:22pm):

1 Regent Hurricane has been tossed an ally here that he can fully utilize.

2 Mainland Star has turned into a very competitive chaser against the top South Island chasers. He placed in his only previous visit to this track

3 Sub Class owns the racing nous to make his presence felt in this field. He trialed nicely here last Sunday.

 4 Emily Baxter has led some handy South Island field all-the-way and she owns sufficient early pace to lob onto the pace here.

5 Embezzlement is hard to catch at times. He is a proven performer at the top level around this circuit.

6 Awesome Bender was exactly that - absolutely awesome in the manner he overcame major traffic issues when delivering his potent Forbury Park win last week.

7 Falkirk Fantasy owns the ability to race on the pace, that's a racing tactic he must adopt here.

8 But Why Not has spent her time short course sprinting lately which included her recent C4 375m Cambridge win.

MTA Auckland Cup - heat 2 (race 9, 7:12pm)

1. Harajuku Boy must exit this trap smartly otherwise he runs the risk of finding himself jammed up on the rail.

2 Wizard Appeal has drawn nicely for his racing style; however he found the open-class company a tad on the rich side before.

3 Elite Luke has done nothing else other than short course sprinting since arriving in this country.

4 Triple Tee is a tough act to follow - he must find the early lead if he's going to feature here.

5 Winsome Opawa is a potent Kiwi bred chaser who has raced generously on this track before.

6 Nonna's Girl is an unknown quantity over both this distance and in this class. She has recently sprinted through the grades; however she has been trialing very nicely over 527m lately.

7 Little Mother showed she is firmly on target to defend her Auckland Cup title by smashing the Manawatu Raceway 457m track record during her last outing.

8 Have A Yap was a stylish winner when she was last presented on this track.        

MTA Auckland Cup - heat 3 (race 11, 8:00pm):

1 Hailey's Agent was last year's Auckland Cup runner up when he jumped from the same trap he has here.

2 Fancy Step delivers his best races whenever he lobs on top of the bunny and that's exactly what he must do here.

3 Olympic Ace is another who will have to get himself quickly into stride from the off.

4 Core Power has found the open-class company a bit on the tough side since taking on the gun chasers.

5 Winsome Flash upset the open class chasers at Cambridge three races ago, but has struggled since.

6 Know Spunk is a promising up and coming chaser who was the recent Canterbury Futurity runner-up when run down just short of the judge.

7 Sergio threw down the gauntlet to his opposition when delivering his searing last start victory here. He has won three Group 1 races this season.

8 Kazz Razz will enjoy jumping from this trap as seen by her tidy Wanganui 520m win on Friday when jumping from the eight.        

AUCKLAND CO-OP TAXIS RAILWAY SPRINT HEATS

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 1 (race 2, 4:40pm)

1 Botany Barb has recently returned into the open-class ranks. She has drawn ideally, however she must make effective use of the one trap.

2 Rolled Oaks steps up to open class sprinting following his 18.92sec C4 win on Sunday. He needs to shave a few 10ths of a second of that time.

3 Matilda's Best is facing his toughest career test after having won a C2/3 Cambridge 375m sprint last week.

4 Seeley Booth has struggled in both Cambridge C5 sprints since graduating back into open-class. He could add some spice to the minor's combos here.

5 Jackson Cat receives a tough draw for his track debut sprint after having fallen when last racing in Dunedin.

6 Pretty Good is pretty dam good alright, which he confirmed when winning his open-class debut sprint on Forbury Park last Friday afternoon.

7 Kerrie's Fantasy was last sighted sprinting mid-December. She won't mine the wide trap she has here.

8 Allegro Vision is a classy sprinter who faded over the concluding stages when resuming from an extended spell at Wanganui last Friday. She enjoys racing on this track.        

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 2 (race 4, 5:15pm)

1 Kenso Way is on NZ race debut here. She has placed in all three of her previous Aussie races from the ace-trap.

2 Fireman's Salute reverts back to sprinting after setting the pace in the recent Canterbury Futurity final over 520m. He owns a sharp sprint.

3 Taliesin Blue has struggled to win a sprint since transferring north, although this draw will suit him.

4 Mates Unite threw away a certain C4 win on Sunday by racing wide into the home straight. He can swiftly ping away from the traps.

5 Matanuska resumed from a spell on Sunday to deliver an easy all-the-way win from this trap.

6 Cheverton found how tough open-class sprinting is when getting caught in traffic when on C5 debut last time. To be fair he was clocking open-class times during his charge through the grades.

7 Aerial Baxter is a member of a talented litter who ran a bold open-class debut sprint in Wanganui last Friday.

8 Big Gift is another Aussie on NZ debut here. Her Aussie box-8 form suggests she will enjoy jumping from out wide.        

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 3 (race 6, 5:52pm)

1 Bengineer delivered a bold fresh-up sprint third on Sunday. He does prefer a wide trap to escape from; however he cannot be ignored here either.

2 Kyle Izmir chased the pace-making winner throughout here on Sunday. He can go one better in this sprint.

3 Captain Carlos has been mixing his recent efforts. He can make his presence felt here if he brings his A game along.

4 Cawbourne Mo was contained in the midfield pack throughout when on open-class debut in Wanganui last Friday.

5 Safe And Secure is a Canterbury visitor who tends to sprint handy to the pace. He must do that from this trap in his track debut race.

6 Got The Juice can strongly feature here providing he adopts a pace-making role.

7 Scott No Funding is a midget sized sprinter who owns a huge heart. In saying that, she must ping away smartly when the traps lift.

8 Wee Ping Doll is facing a huge class-rise here; however she does own very tidy looking trap-8 stats.           

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 4 (race 8, 6:42pm)

1 Thrilling Bash treks up here after delivering top back-to-back Manawatu 375m wins. He will enjoy jumping from the ace-trap.

2 Stiff is a sprinter who is rapidly heading into top grade. Tidy C3 win here Sunday and he can handle the class rise he faces here.

3 Addis Jay fairly and squarely defeated Hifi Allegro in Wanganui on Friday by displaying the value of racing along the rail when presented with that opportunity.

4 Ripped Jeans- SCRATCHED

5 Realon Rapture looks safely held thanks to the lousy draw he has been allocate here.

6 Kissin Kate owns the ability to get underway real smartly and she can feature by doing precisely that.

7 True Intentions could very well be the smokey in this heat. She has been known to bowl along freely in front.

8 My Jack Attack can crunch the lot of them from this trap. He owns the ability to swoop right around the outer.

9 Fancy Spider has struggled since his return into the open-class sprinting ranks.      

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 5 (race 10, 7:40pm)

1 Motherlee is resuming from a brief spell and she's just the type who can hurt a few from this draw.

2 Pressure Point delivered a bold fresh-up sprint at Cambridge last week, however her track form over this trip isn't the flashest.

3 Hifi Allegro - what more can one say about this canine cash machine on paws as she attempts to secures her third Railway title.

4 Cool Idol is a smart enough Kiwi bred sprinter who is fresh-up after a four month spell. He can be hit or miss at the jump and does crash towards the rail.

5 Ice Ice Amy is a Canterbury sprinter has been thrown the visitors trap for her track debut.

6 Magicate wasn't able to boot up and around them from the 8-trap here on Sunday after winning from the ace-trap in Wanganui last Friday.

7 Kid Koonawarra reentered the open-class ranks via his C4 win here on Sunday - this is tougher.

8 One Tough Cookie won with authority here on Sunday and he's drawn to repeat the dose.        

Auckland Co-op Taxis Railway Sprint - heat 6 (race 12, 8:25pm)
1 Know Joy is a Canterbury visitor who will appreciate the opportunity this draw presents her with.

2 To The Crest was downgraded back to C4 when missing out here on Sunday. He could sneak into the First 4 back-end here.

3 Ron's Secret chased home Hifi Allegro in Wanganui two sprints ago. She's on track debut here.

4 Tepirita Tiger is another Canterbury sprinter who appears to be facing a stiff task here.

5 Winsome Achiever is a recent graduate into open-class who has been thrown a tough draw for this assignment.

6 Terry Stanley has been dominating the northern sprints as seen by him winning his last seven 318m sprints on this track. 7 Octane Spark must be respected here purely because he won the Group 2 Galaxy Sprint on New Zealand Cup night.

8 Bad State has done a real good job of adapting to open-class sprinting and he won't mine exiting from this trap. 

 

AUCKLAND NZRS FINAL by Peter Fenemor

Thrilling Sneak showed the value of holding down the rail when after settling slightly worse than midfield (but on the rail) during the early rush, he slipped through underneath his rivals to boot clear for his one length, 30.73 second victory in the $11,000 New Zealand Racing Series final over 527 metres at the Manukau Stadium on Sunday afternoon. This Karen Walsh trained son of Whiskey Assassin and Sly Park provided owner and breeder Gary Harding with the full stake; $3,000 being the winner's portion, plus $3,000 on offer being the Breeders' bonus portion, as is the case in all NZRS finals. This wasn't the first occasion that Thrilling Sneak has secured Breeders' bonus payments as he has previously won an $8,000 NZRS Graduation final at the Manawatu Raceway.

It was a top result for Harding, as the Andrew Taylor prepared Thrilling Sneak's litter brother Thrilling Tale finish third, two and a quarter lengths behind his brother. Splitting the pair was the gallant Hailey's Agent, who had untaken the pace-making role for trainer Ben Craik and his breeder Macca McMillan. He pressed on gamely when pressured by Thrilling Tale on his outer and winner Thrilling Sneak on his inner when swinging for home, which ultimately saw him going under by a length.

Race favourite Apatche Jet found himself sandwiched between runners when this son of Dabyne Shiraz and Whata Plan was involved in a closely fought paw wrestle when racing into the first turn. The buffering he received at that point effectively saw him lose all chance.

 

28.02.11

The feature on the card today is the NZRS final and the two C5 318 races. Next Thursday is the running of the 2011 Railway Sprint and Auckland Cup heats. It will be interesting to see how the C5 sprinters perform today going into these heats. Kyle Izmir has already proven himself as a competitive sprinter having qualified for the Galaxy Sprint in Christchurch last year. Local breeds Matunuska and Kissin Kate have been good performers for their trainers and Bad State has put together some good form going into the Railway heats. In the other C5 race we see local breed hero My Jack Attack starting from the ace trap where he has had 8 starts for 4 wins and 4 placing's. One Tough Cookie ran a solid second behind the impressive Terry Stanley last start and Magicate won on Friday night at Wanganui for visiting trainers Paul Freeman and Angela Turnwald.  The lads from the Huntly RSA have sponsored a very nice 2/3 527 race. Cornwall Road won his last start on the track running a best of the day in 30.81, Machin Shin returned to winning form at Cambridge mid week running a slick 25.57. The interesting runner will be Smokin Ichiban drawn in the 3 for astute trainer Steve Clark who has a good strike in getting Aussie imports to win first up in NZ. 

Pick6 was again struck by several on course punters last week. This weeks Pick6 on races 7-11 looks challenging. We also have a punters club scheduled for Sunday afternoon so let's hope for some good results and profit for the punters.

*** Remember to check out Pillis Picks for the latest tips and reviews***

 

28.02.11 Very Competitive NZRS Auckland Field For Sunday by Peter Fenemor

There was just 0.01 of a second difference between heat winning times that Apatche Jet and Triple Tee produced in last Sunday's New Zealand Racing Series heats. That just serves to illustrate just how even and competitive that this $11,000 NZRS final (race 9, 4:58pm) well be for these quality Kiwi bred greyhounds at the Manukau Stadium this Sunday afternoon.

Jason Dunn has recently taking over the training duties of Apatche Jet who had resumed racing after a hock injury by producing a strong running fresh-up performance when winning in Wanganui three weeks ago. Owner and breeder Alan Williams informed us prior to his heat win, "I transferred Jet to Jason, owing to the extra work and preparation he required following his injury. He has done a dam good job with him since." This pure white son of Dabyne Shiraz and Whata Plan owns a decided asset and that is his slick trapping ability that ensures he's right up there contesting the pace from the jump. Apatche Jet did just that in his heat and he can overcome his lousy five-trap draw here.

Dunn also prepares Opawa Collar, who is an Opawa Racing bred son of Spiral Nikita and Winsome Duchess. He loomed into contention when racing down the back straight in his heat; however he peaked on his charge in the final straight when finishing a three and a quarter length fourth to Triple Tee.

Local trainer Ben Craik holds a rather strong looking hand in this final with two very genuine contenders. Triple Tee emerged from a tightly packed field to seize the race lead when racing along the rail in his heat. They never pulled him back in when he relentlessly kept on pushing on, which saw this son of Surf Lorian and Reba Keroma holding a length advantage over his rivals at the judge. The key to his prospects here is the requirement he has in making a slick start from the wide trap he exits from here.

Gallantly trying to cut back Apatche Jet during his heat was Hailey's Agent. This son of Romberg Reason and Candy Coated turned up the blow-torch on the "white streak", but try as he might, he just couldn't get past, finishing a neck behind. He receives every opportunity of being able to reverse that result in this final, especially as he drawn nicely in the two-trap.

Likely to be sitting poised in behind the pace will be the "Thrilling" flying attack squad. There are three of them contesting his final and all three of them will be sighted hitting the line powerfully here, just like they did in their respective heat gallops. Karen Walsh has two of them including a promising daughter from the Brett Lee and Thrilling Faith (isn't she turning into a super mum) in Thrilling Siren. She pressed on strongly for her heat third, just a tick under three-lengths adrift of Apatche Jet.

There are two sons of Whisky Assassin and Sly Park racing in this final. The Walsh trained Thrilling Sneak secures the ace-trap to exit from here, after he charged home a length behind Triple Tee in his heat. Okay, he's not renowned for his quick early pace, but what he can do is to take a sit on the rail and then unwind strongly late. Andrew Taylor will be applying the finishing polish to litter brother Thrilling Tale. He pressed on relentlessly when finishing two lengths astern of Triple Tee in his heat outing.

Mr. Jazz Man completes to drawn field for Foxton trainer Paul Freeman and Angela Turnwald. Gee, didn't this son of Big Daddy Cool and Miss Woofy Cooka make up a fair slice of late territory to finish a tad under four lengths behind Apatche Jet in his heat after being slow from the traps. That's a tactic he won't want to deploy in this final.

John McInerney provides both reserves. Kazz Razz just couldn't clear those inside her when spearing up to try and snatch the race lead from her eight-trap draw in her heat. This daughter of Closing Argument and Once Again Barb will be hoping to secure a similar wide trap if she's required to race here. And litter brother Botany Matthew found himself jammed up and contained in the midfield pack throughout during his heat excursion.

 

21.02.11

Apache Jet won the first of the two NZRS heats for his South Island trainer Jason Dunn. Hailey's Agent had the swoop swinging for home but was unable to catch Apache Jet going down by a neck in a handy 30.84. Triple Tee was an upset in the second heat fighting on strongly to hold out the Thrilling chargers in Thrilling Sneak and Thrilling Tale. Triple Tee had a length on them at the post running 30.85. These heats have produced a very even final with the box draw looking like it could be the key to who is victorious in the final next Sunday 27th February 2011.

Sergio looked in a class of his own as he demolished a class 5 field by 8 lengths in a quick 30.18. It was great to see our sponsor Carol from Carols TABS on course to present the winning ribbons. Sergio looks well placed heading toward the Auckland Cup heats on Thursday 3rd March 2011.

Steve Clark produced four winners with Terry Stanley leading all the way when taking out the class 5 Reel-Fishin 318. Terry Stanley is going from strength to strength having won his last three races and recording the best of the day on each of those occasions. Ms Tournamental, Fair Movin and Wee Ping Doll were also impressive winners from the Steve Clark Team.

Fancy Milly impressed with a five length victory in the class one 527 running a quick 30.53. Julia Norris keeps her good record intact winning the class 0 318 final from the awkward draw of box 4.

Pick6 was struck yesterday returning a nice dividend of $1495.50. Pilli was on the mark as he selected the Pick6 and threw in a best bet that returned $2.40 (Thrilling Pippi).

Fields for next Sunday will be out Wednesday 23rd February after 3pm.

 

18.02.11

Last Sunday was a day for lesser fancied dogs to destroy punters, so much so that the Pick6 was done and dusted after 3 legs. Still there is always another day and this Sunday there is a guaranteed Pick6 pool of $25.000.

This Sunday we have exciting fields assembled. The two NZRS heats are both strong, reflecting the improving standard of the local breed dogs.It's great to see some of the best South Island and Central District NZ Breeds making the trip to Auckland to contest this series. With the Auckland Cup and Railway looming it also gives the visitors a chance to give their dogs a run on the track if they haven't already been here. The C5 318 and 527 fields are excellent, with the brilliant Sergio returning to Manukau in the 527 affair. Sergio faces some up and coming talent but he will prove hard to beat having already established himself as one of the best in the country winning an impressive 3 Group One races to date and 8 of his nine races.

 Remember to check out Pilli's Picks for his insight into this weeks Pick6 and check out Pilli's Best Bet and LongShot.

** Congratulations to Thrilling Brat who won the 2011 Canterbury Futurity for trainer Karen Walsh and Owner/Breeder Gary Harding. Thrilling Brat has won 4 from 4 to date and earned $16,068 in the process. This beautifully breed youngster from Hallucinate- Thrilling Faith looks to have a bright future.

14.02.11- PICK6 not struck

There was plenty of racing action and upsets at the races yesterday. The Pick6 proved elusive with no one selecting the 6 winners. Next Sunday will be an exciting afternoon with the Pick6 jackpot of $25,000 up for grabs, heats for the NZRS middle distance dogs and the C0 318 February Maiden Series final and The Brownzy Sports Bar C1 318 final. First time starter Julia Norris was very impressive in winning her C0 318 heat in a smart time of 18.41. The other C0 318 heat was won by Red Rules who was finally rewarded with a win after some nice place form. Although Red Rules is better known over 527 he managed to find the lead early on Sunday and went away for a good win. Thrilling Pippi won the first C1 318 heat in a good time of 18.45. Thrilling Ray scored a big upset winning at odds of 23/1. A couple of the Huntly RSA owners were oncourse to cheer their charge home for a comfortable 3 1/4L victory. The last C1 318 heat was won by race favourite World Cup Miss part owned by race sponsor Craig Rendle with past president Barry Mcghie.

*** PILLIS PICK LONGSHOT TIP CORNWALL ROAD WON AND PAID $15.70 (win) $2.90 (place)***

10.02.11

 

Sundays meeting on the 6th of February produced some good racing with Have A Yap again emphasing her talent, when running down her kennel mate Fancy Step in the C4/5 527 metre race. Have A Yap is in great form at Auckland as we head closer to the Auckland Cup carnival, and is one of the many talented Northern dogs that will be competing against the Central and Southern charges who have won the Auckland Cup since 2007 with Roman Castle- J McInerney 2008 Winsome Ashley- J & D Fahey 2009 Winsome Uno- J & D Fahey and 2010 Little Mother- B Cole.

Terry Stanley was dominant in wining the first of the two C5 318 races. True Intentions was off and gone out of the 5 box to win easily for her connections, giving the Schofield camp 5 winners on the day. Machin Shin was impressive when winning a C1 527 is a very good time of 30.58 and his kennel mate Retsina won the other C1 527 on the day making her debut race a winning race for Phil Green.

This Sunday is again bonus weekend with an extra $1,000 going into pick4's on races 1-8 and $10,000 will be added to the Quaddie pool races 9-12. Very even fields have been carded with the maiden 318 heats drawing two fields and the C1 318 heats drawing 3 fields. The Jack's Wholesales Meats stakes feature race for C1 527 dogs has produced a nice even field. Pick6 starts on race 7 and continues through to race 12. Oncourse punters will be seeking to continue their good strike rate. Several were winners at different percentages on last weeks $3,200 payout.

There are a couple tricky fields in this weeks version that will pose a challenge- Remember Pillis Picks highlights the Pick 6 and Quaddie with a Best Bet and Long Shot added to the mix. Pilli's longshot Ascending Force won and paid a tidy $8.20 for the win and $2.70 for the place. The C5 sprint features last weeks winner True Intentions who looks hard to beat. The C3/4 527 contains some good inform dogs and will be a good contest one of the highlight races on the card. 

Good punting to all and see you on Sunday.

 

07.02.11 GREYHOUND THEME FOR NEW TV SERIES

Greyhound racing is the theme for a new TV series that will be screened on TV3 in May. The crew who produced the entertaining short greyhound movie ' Second Coming' has been commissioned to produce the six part series.

The series will be named 'Hounds' and as executive producer Jarrod Holt explains the series will focus "around a family who races greyhounds and the relationship that grows between a battling greyhound trainer and the owner's son following the death of his father(owner). The series will also carry a comedy theme to it". Filming of the series is scheduled to start at the Manukau Stadium over the next few weeks.

Article by Peter Fenemor

 

06.02.11

Todays race meeting has provided some very even fields. Unfortunately we have not been able to stage the Misty Anna R/A series heat C0-C3 race due to insufficient nominations. If you have not heard about this series for bitches please check the Monthly GRNZ Greyhound Magazine or look under Calender- Misty Anna R/A feature dates on this website for more information.

 The C4-5 527 field has drawn 7 runners with a few proven campaigners against the up and coming Have A Yap and Core Power, who have shown good early speed in their races to date. This race is sure to be a good one to watch with anyone of the seven runners a chance. There are two C5 318 races carded. Race 5 has last weeks impressive winner Terry Stanley jumping from the squeeze box 4. Race 11 features the other C5 sprinters with the inform Kissin Kate getting her chance to notch up win number 12 from box 1. Kissin Kate has lead her last couple races and has been run down on both occasions by her smart littler brother My Jack Attack. My Jack Attack was a mid week winner at Cambridge and is not featured in todays meeting.

Pick6 looks a real challenge with the first and last legs looking rather difficult. This will test the great record on course punters have had at recent meetings. The Quaddie on races 8-12 also falls into the difficulty category. The quaddie on last Mondays meeting was sensational value, when one takes into account the last treble paid $18.90 and that coupled with a 5/1 winner in Terry Stanley paid an excess of $414.00.

**Remember to check out Pilli's Picks for the latest Pick 6 and Quaddie tips. Pilli also has a Top Tip and Longshot selected for you.

We kick off at 2.42pm and are finished by 6.00pm, so good punting everyone.

 

01.02.11

Sundays(31/01/11) Family Day meeting attracted a large gathering of Mum's and Dad's with their children alongside. The children had a wonderful day with sack races, three legged races, running races and a colouring competition held throughout the day. There were some great prizes handed out to the winners on the day. congratulations to Monique McPhee who won the over 7's colouring competition and a family pass to Rainbows End. Quinnine Ahio won the under 7's colouring competition and got to take home a brand new scooter. As usual we had Bounce & Play , Walnut The Clown and Imaginaire (face-painting) entertainment on site to help keep the kids entertained and some adults! Many thanks to Management, Gerry Darcy and Glen Hunt for organising a great day and for helping to make sure that the day was a success for the children.

On the racing side of things, a very strong C4 527 field was assembled.  Core Power again produced another fine front running performance to out race her competitors. Core Power has put together a great record since racing in New Zealand for 6 wins and 3 placings from 11 starts and $8328.50 banked to date. Core Power is a Restricted Age bitch and if her form continues as it has been she will be a real contender for the New Zealand Oaks raced in Christchurch later this year. The same can be said for the Gordon Wilson trained Jetsun Genes who continues to improve and impress with each race and won race 7 by 1 length. Terry Stanley proved too strong for a gallant Hifi Allegro giving Steve Clark 2 winners for the day. My Jack Attack got up on the winning line to run his sister Kissin Kate down in the other C5 sprint.  The visiting trainers from the Central Districts took home a few red ribbons with Lisa Ahern winning two races and the partnership of Paul Freeman and Angela Turnwald produced the winner in the last with Stiff.

Oncourse punters again were to the fore in the Pick6. It is staggering to see the success rate on course with Pick6, even on days when there are limited winning tickets.

20.01.11.
Sundays meeting featured the return of Little Mother to Auckland and she did not let her fans down. Little Mother powered out of the 8 trap to win easily in a quick 30.03 and is now one win away from being the highest stake earner to race in NZ. Little Mother has earned a massive $173,078.50 from 73 starts saluting the judge on 47 occasions. Winsome Bucks is the current highest stake earner with earnings standing at $174,279 from 92 starts winning on 38 occasions.

Hifi Allegro returned to winning form in the C5 sprint and Thrilling Aztec and Thrilling Sprat confirmed their high promise winning well, with Thrilling Sprat career stats at 5 starts for 5 wins. Thrilling Sprat won the 1st of the Misty Anna series a series created for Restricted Age Bitches, for more information go to Calender- Misty Anna R/A Feature Dates.

This Sunday features the clash between Sergio triple group one winner and Little Mother NZ 2010 greyhound of the year and multiple group winner in the Carols TAB stakes. Have A Yap and proven C5 chasers Haileys Agent and Harajuku Boy are also in the field so bring on 5.06pm. The flying Hifi Allegro is in the C5 sprint and supporting races are interesting, I am not so sure the Pick6 and Quaddie will be as easy as last Sunday. For tips check out Pillis Picks updated Saturday afternoon.

We also have a Punters Challenge on again this Sunday with teams of 6 at $360 which gives a $220 betting voucher with Finger Foods and some Refreshments provided. The last event was well patronised with four teams recording a profit. Contact Robert Death at the Club to reserve a table. Remember next week Auckland Anniversary Weekend is Family Fun day with free entertainment for the kids.