There have been some great rivalries in greyhound racing, such as Octagonal and Saintly, Sunline and Northerly, Tenthill Doll and Flying Amy. On Saturday Kihael Kaluna and Black Bear Lee will face off in a modern showdown.
The two greyhounds line up against each other again in the Group 1 Vic Peters Memorial Classic, in what promises to be a cracking race.
It’s not just about these two greyhounds though, with Blazin’ Bomber and Zambora Brockie in particular making this field rather deep.
If you want to have a look at some of the past races, get an account with The Dogs website – for free – and go to the search page. From there you can bring up the form for any greyhound and click on the video icon for race replays.
What makes the event difficult to predict is that quite a few greyhounds have early pace but are inconsistent when the boxes open, and the greyhound most favourably drawn is longshot Explosive Madam in box one. The two reserves, Good Odds Angel and No Donuts, also come into calculation should they get a run.
Personally, I am going to tip Black Bear Lee to add another feature race to his resume, while expecting Blazin’ Bomber to run an almighty race. Both are capable of running fast times but that doesn’t always win you the big races, when most of the field can get around the track in a hurry as well.
Both greyhounds come into the final after getting themselves into some awkward positions early in their races, and both have shown great track sense to get into the final. Blazin’ Bomber might be the beneficiary of Black’s a Marble’s tendency to drift off the rails in the run to the first turn, while I’m hoping Black Bear Lee will be leading or second at the first corner and be too hard to hold out.
Of the two favourites, I worry a little that Kihael Kaluna is drawn outside Black’s a Marble and unless he comes out brilliantly, which he is capable of, I think Black Bear Lee might get the better run to the first turn.
Zambora Brockie doesn’t quite have the speed from the outside for mine, but Good Odds Ocker wants the rail and Zambora Brockie could easily find himself close enough for a greyhound of his ability to take the race.
Of the others, Explosive Madam is well drawn and could fill in a trifecta or first four place by virtue of that. Good Odds Ocker has the ability to be in the placings, but I fancy box seven is a bridge too far. Like the entire field, Black’s a Marble is not short of ability, but would need to do everything right to win here.
Nangar Flame is just drawn really badly but will surely get better slices of luck later in its career. However, it’s a great thrill for connections to have a runner in the Vic Peters, two years ago we were lucky enough that little Folk Tails made it through, and I wish them all the best of luck for what is shaping up to be a classic race.
But most importantly, wait until Saturday to have a punt as the two reserves are a great chance, and box one is definitely the place to be in the final. If you bet early and the reserves don’t get a run, there’ll be a nasty little deduction from the fixed odds price as well.
Also, congratulations to Fernando Bale for being the first million-dollar greyhound, winning the Adelaide Cup and backing it up with the Topgun on Saturday night.
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