Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s SA Country Cup representatives, Springvale Alysa and Galactic Titan, will go into next Friday night’s $7500 final over 515 metres at Angle Park without another run.
Following their Tara Raceway heat wins on Sunday, September 22, the pair both raced over the cup distance last Monday night at the city track in readiness for SA greyhound racing’s biggest night of the year, highlighted by the Group 1 Adelaide Cup (515 m).
Trained by John Little at Kongorong, Springvale Alysa gave plenty of cheek in a grade five bitches-only race over 515 metres, leading everywhere but on the line when going down by neck, finishing second to Minnie Mac in 30.09 seconds.
“For sure, I was happy enough with the run although a win certainly would have been better,” Little said. “She won’t run again until next Friday night so now it will simply be a matter of keeping her fresh and hoping for an inside draw in the final.”
Galactic Titan, a $2 favourite from box one in a Mixed Stake, found trouble on the first turn before finishing unplaced, Worrolong trainer Steve Bartholomew reporting later in the week that the brindle dog appeared to have pulled up well.
“Looking at him in our long run he appears fine,” he said. “He’ll be checked out for any injury concerns this week and then go into the final without another race. Ideally, both Chuckie (owner Robert Chuck) and I would like to see him draw out wide.”
Meanwhile, Spring Taylor and Conner Peruzzi will represent Murray Bridge in the Country Cup final, the former clocking a best of night 25.64 seconds (455 metres) in the first heat for Murray Bridge trainer Greg Board.
Conner Peruzzi, owned and trained by Yvonne Maxwell of Whyalla Norrie, held out odds-on favourite Cawbourne Clint to win the second heat by a neck in 25.84 seconds.
And Better Dream and Victa Nash make up the field for the G-SIX final after fighting out Gawler’s single heat at the northern club’s Friday, September 27 meeting.
Better Dream, trained at Lewiston by Ben Rawlings, clocked 30.94 seconds when leading all the way over the 531 metre journey to defeat the Two Wells-based Victa Nash who is trained by long-time participant Michael Giniotis.