Sisters Kristy and Michelle Sultana will each have a runner in next week’s Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top Final after Friday’s heats were decided at LADBROKES GARDENS, but after a stunning performance from her dog, most now expect the younger sister will be the one celebrating.
Kristy admitted she was unsure how her brilliant young dog Flying Ricciardo would fare against elite company, but she had no need for concern as he produced a staggering effort to come within 0.01s of the track record.
Showing explosive speed from box seven, Flying Ricciardo carved across the field in a sizzling 4.88s first section to set up the 29.17s win, just 0.01s outside the fastest time ever run over the 515m at LADBROKES GARDENS, that time belonging to Golden Easter Egg winner Zipping Bailey.
A veteran of just 10 starts prior to Friday’s win, Sultana admitted that while there was a worry about the step up to top grade for Flying Ricciardo, she really “just couldn’t hold him back.”
Flying Ricciardo, who has now won nine of his 11 starts and was runner-up at the other two, will be go to the boxes next Friday as a very warm favourite, not only on the heat performance, but also after drawing box two.
The Michael Eberand-trained Ebby Jet Power produced a great run to finish second, just a half head ahead of TAB Million Dollar Chase winner Good Odds Harada, and his time of 29.41s was the fastest of the second place getters, and as such secured a spot in the final. He drew the seven in big race.
You have to feel for the connections of Good Odds Harada. His 29.42s run was the fourth fastest overall on the night, but only the six heat winners and two fastest second placegetters got through to the final.
Trainer Mark Moroney admitted that his bitch Fire On Ice has a love affair with the LADBROKES GARDENS track, but she had to work hard to book her berth in Friday’s Final.
Moroney later declared the 29.40s win, while not her fastest, was certainly “one of her best,” after Fire On Ice overcame traffic around the first turn, then set about hunting down the leaders, grabbing the front-runner Left Unsaid on the home turn and racing away for two length win.
“She loves this place, she’s run 29.2s here, and she can do it at both ends, but that was a tough win tonight, it’s one of her best I think,” Moroney said.
Michelle Sultana’s Left Unsaid was the other runner-up to win a place in the final, as the second fastest second having posted 29.54s. She drew box three, alongside Michelle’s sister’s dog for the final, while Fire On Ice came up with box eight.
It’s the first dog he has ever raced, and it’s the only dog in his kennel, but next Friday night Joe Estephan and his aptly named greyhound Here Comes Joe will race for Group success after an impressive all the way heat win in 29.42s.
It’s not the first time Joe has had the dog in a Group final. Back in January the dog qualified for the National Derby, but in the days leading into the feature, he was bitten by a spider, became very ill and had to be scratched from the event.
It’s taken some time to come back, but he’s almost there and Joe and his son Norm believe the dog can go even quicker next week. He was hoping for an inside draw but had no luck coming up with the five.
“His talent is untapped,” said Norm. “He’s getting back to near 100 per cent now, and I think he can go quicker next week.”
While Peter Tobin has one extra dog to Joe Estephan, with two in his kennel, just like Joe, Peter will also have a runner in next week’s Black Top Final after Star Hotel led throughout to win his heat in 29.68s.
The Neil Staines-trained Lightning VISION collected the honour of being the first greyhound through to next Friday’s final, taking full advantage of his rails draw, before overhauling the leader Galaxy Banner in the straight to win his heat in 29.54s.
The dog has shown an abundance of ability throughout his career but has battled injuries, and Staines believes he now has those sorted, and is hoping his dog can improve on his heat run - which was his first look at the Gardens’ track - in next week’s final.
And in the final heat of the night, trainer James Coyle said his dog All Star Punk needs an inside draw, and he took full advantage of just that on Friday night, jumping out of the two and leading from box rise to win his heat in 29.49s and qualify for the Group 2 decider in seven nights’ time.
Coyle’s luck continued at the box draw when All Star Punk came up with the red rug for the $40,000 to the winner final.
