Wednesday, May 29, 2019
In what has been a pleasing response from connections, three 732 metre events will be run at Tara Raceway on Sunday week when the second round of the re-vamped Iron Dog series is conducted.
This follows the framing of three first-round 600 metre heats which will kick off the three-round series on Sunday afternoon. The Iron Dog – which requires the same greyhounds to contest three distances – will conclude on Sunday, June 16 with 512 metre heats.
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, in keeping with the Iron Dog tag, this year opted to replace the 400 metre leg with 732 metres, a distance that has not been run at Tara Raceway since July 29, 2018 when Cryer’s Plugger defeated Ethics and Trademark Jet in 44.40 seconds.
In previous years, two rounds of the Iron Dog over 600 metres and 400 metres were conducted with the leading eight point scorers then contesting a 512 metre final.
However, this year the club has opted to run three rounds, the Winning Post Supplies Iron Dog winner being the leading point scorer after the three rounds have been completed.
And the series should get off to a good start with Cryer’s Plugger, ideally drawn in box one, and Dyna Quota looking two of the top chances for Apsley trainer Tom Cryer and Nicole Stanley of Portland.
Cryer’s Plugger, now 4½ years old and a winner of 25 races, hasn’t won since March but continues to race pretty well although he’ll probably need to get down to something like his personal best 35.08 seconds over the 600 metre journey if he’s to match it with Dyna Quota.
Dyna Quota has a 35.14 seconds 600 metre personal best at Tara Raceway, has won over 650 metres at Warrnambool and in April won the SA Distance Championship (732 m) at Angle Park so she looks well placed to give Stanley her second Iron Dog after Old Jock was successful in 2016.
Edenhope trainer Cap Abbott won the 2014 Iron Dog with Manila Express and he also holds a strong hand with the slow-starting, strong-finishing Black Spring who will jump from box eight in the second heat.
Black Spring boasts a tremendous 600 metre record at the track, having won six races and run three minor placings from nine starts over the middle-distance. In addition, he is a 732 metre winner at Angle Park and has run sub-30 seconds over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.
Box seven runner Kolora Posie, trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, has been a model of consistency at her past six starts – three of those over 600 metres – for Mount Gambier owner Connie Miller.
Sunday’s distance and the 512 metre final round won’t be an issue for the 13-race winner but Kolora Posie has never raced over 732 metres.
Cryer’s Plugger’s litter brother Cryer’s Bob, who has drawn box seven in the third heat, has probably never been racing better, as evidenced by his one length second to Black Spring last week and wins over 600 metres and 512 metres earlier in the month.
The brindle dog is another one well suited to the Iron Dog format, having won over the three distances for Cryer who holds a strong hand in the series.
Black Spring’s litter brother Spinning Jakit has drawn box one for Abbott and will be attempting to make it four wins in succession while there will be much interest in how Stanley’s 2018 Anniversary Cup (512 m) winner Ben Nevis handles the step-up in distance.