By David Nagel
THE quality of this Sunday’s $40,000 (to the winner) Group 2 Waverley Party Hire Cranbourne Cup (520m) final can be found not only in the greyhounds who made the final but also the ones who missed out.
Some of the nation’s leading chasers lined up for the five heats on Monday night with champions like Melbourne Cup winner Dyna Tron, Meadows track-record holder Heston Bale, Silver Chief winner Godsend and last year’s cup winner Gold Heritage all failing to progress.
The 40 heat runners had amassed almost $2.3 million in prizemoney so the quality of this week’s final – although missing some big names – is still dripping with class.
The Jamie Ennis trained Strong Intention led the way in the heats recording the fastest time of the night in 30.32 and has drawn beautifully in box two for the final. His early speed will make him very hard to beat with unreliable beginner Proven Mayhem on his inside.
Trained in Pearcedale by Jason Thompson, Proven Mayhem recorded the second fastest heat time of 30.34. The 14-time winner forms a two-pronged Thompson assault on the final with kennel-mate Knocka Knows All. Thompson has won numerous Group races but wasn’t brimming with confidence when he spoke with the News on Wednesday.
“They’re both going to need a lot of luck from the draw,” Thompson said.
“They’ve both drawn poorly, Proven Mayhem likes to run wide so the inside’s not ideal and the other dog’s drawn box five.
“It’s a pretty open race though; you could run it eight times and have eight different winners.
“We’re hoping rather than expecting.”
Recent Sale Cup winner Mystic Apple is an interesting runner. The son of Hallucinate won at Sale over the longer 650-metre journey and could be powering home late. Wins at 25 of his 56 starts proves he’s a winner.
The powerful Andrea Dailly camp – despite not qualifying Dyna Tron and Heston Bale – have three runners in the final, Dyna Steal, Lektra Johnson and Lektra Joy, who was the fastest of her three winners in 30.41.
The Cranbourne Cup was first run and won by Great Power in 1975 and the track record has been broken three times in the race. Pororoca’s time of 29.68 in 2006 still stands today.
Other highlights include dual cup wins in 1984/85 by National Star and the 1992 win of dual Australian Cup winner China Trip.
As well as great racing action there is a free entry lucky draw with over $1000 worth of prizes to be won. There will be plenty of things for the kids, with free show-bags to the first 150 children, plus an animal farm and Camp Australia activities.
Entry is free and the gates open at 5pm with the lids opening in race one at 5.55pm.