There were upsets galore in last weekend’s heats of the Group 2 Lion Quality Healesville Cup, but plenty of interest remains in Sunday’s $64,000 Group 2 final.
The eight heats boasted greater quality than any card of racing ever conducted in the 26 year history of greyhound racing at Healesville, and the final promises to be a wonderful day as an old-fashioned carnival will compliment a great day of racing and the chance to win a family holiday to the Gold Coast.
Only one favourite, Size Does Matter, managed to take out a heat, while three of the eight heat winners paid in excess of $30.00.
Four greyhounds from the greater Geelong area have qualified for the $45,000 to-the-winner final, including two from Jeff Britton’s kennel and two from the Brooke Ennis team. Devon Meadows will be represented by Irish trainer Thomas O’Donovan and Peter Presutto, while Gary Hansen of Daisy Hill and Graham Whitford of Yarram complete the field of trainers.
The best time of the day belonged to former Queensland sprinter Size Does Matter from the Ennis kennel, who ran 18.942sec and was the only greyhound to break the 19 second barrier over the 350m journey. Less than four-lengths separated the other seven qualifiers for the race.
Gary Hansen’s Call Me Hank produced the biggest upset of the day, with the son of Vee Man Vane and Bullicourt State saluting at the long odds of $36.80 in a time of 19.032sec. Call Me Hank upstaged the fancied runners Azza Azza Azza (fourth), Farmor Las Vegas (fifth) and Hard Urned Burst (sixth) to claim his spot in the final.
Some of the other big names knocked out in the heats include Beckenbauer, Nockabout Aussie, Luca Neveelk, Clash Of Kings, Matt’s Entity and Walk Hard.
Sunday 14 September @ 3:09pm – 350 metres
1 ACCOMPLISHED Peter Presutto, Devon Meadows
2 CHOCO ROCCO Thomas O’Donovan, Devon Meadows
3 CALL ME HANK Gary Hansen, Daisy Hill
4 BEJAY THE DEJAY Brooke Ennis, Lara
5 ZAMBORA STORM Graham Whitford, Yarram
6 SIZE DOES MATTER Brooke Ennis, Lara
7 EL GRAND SEAL Jeff Britton, Anakie
8 COSMIC WISE Jeff Britton, Anakie
Reserves
9 SWAGZILLA Darren McDonald, Devon Meadows
10 WALK HARD Nicole McRae, Clyde
