Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg (G1)

Times Say Wow Can Win The Easter Egg

By Jeff Collerson
Times recorded in last week's semi-finals suggest Wow only needs to begin cleanly from his suitable box three draw to take out Saturday night's 31st running of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.

Wow, recently transferred to the Canyonleigh kennels of Danielle Matic, has shown vastly improved box manners in his Easter Egg qualifying wins and his sectional Times suggest a continuation of that trait will make him nearly impossible to defeat.

After clocking 29.38 to win his Easter Egg heat on March 27, Wow reeled off splits of 5.39, 13.66 and 17.73 before running home in 11.72 to set the semi-final Time standard of 29.45.

Of his rivals in the final, only Fire On Ice bettered Wow's first section with a 5.37 effort, while Wow's second and third splits were clearly superior to those of his opponents.


Vicki's Queen's run home of 11.62 was .10sec quicker than Wow's Time, but her trainer Peter Lagogiane concedes her middle splits could be a problem.

"She has a flat spot around her third section and that could let her down,'' Lagogiane said.

"But I believe her box two position is a soft draw and she usually begins well and is very strong.

"As Vicki's Queen has matured she has become more dour and even if she makes the pace, if she only clocks 18.00 for her third section she could get headed off on the back straight.

"She has gone as quick as 17.80 to the third mark so I'm hoping she can reproduce those figures in the final.''


Trainer Mark Moroney is buoyant about Fire On Ice's prospects and believes his bitch's big race experience could be a factor.

"She made the Gosford Cup, Black Top, Richmond Oaks, Maitland Cup, Peter Mosman Classic and Bathurst Cup finals so a group one win in the Egg would be well earned,'' Moroney said.

"I would have loved seeing her in box one but her box six draw is not bad considering Fire On Ice has won five of her nine races from that alley.

"Obviously she needs to begin fast like she did in her semi but if she does that she is capable of running quick splits.

"Before the Paws Of Thunder series earlier this year Fire On Ice recorded splits of 5.32, 13.69 and 17.77 in a box-to-box trial.''

Steve Withers, trainer of WA wonder dog Tommy Shelby, insists the start will be crucial.

"Tommy Shelby has box eight and has won eight of 11 races from seven and eight,'' Withers said.

"But as he has a fantastic record from every box, it's not the draw that will bring him unstuck but how he gets away.

"No matter how well boxed you are you can't win big finals like this if you miss the jump.

"Conversely, if you come out fast you can win from any draw, so Tommy Shelby just needs to nail the start.''


John Finn, who trained the great Jessica Casey to win the 1992 Golden Easter Egg - the last Time the big race was run on a grass surface at WP - has Zipping Kyrgios in box seven on Saturday.

Saturday night's bumper card also includes the group 1 Association Cup, NSW's top staying race which was first held in 1965.

Stanley Road overcame his tricky box six draw to win his 720m heat in 41.93, and after winning his past four starts despite not drawing closer to the rails than that position, is entitled to favouritism despite coming up with box seven.

The other heat winners were Burn Time, who clocked 42.11 from box four, and Prim And Proper, who led throughout from box six in 42.15.

Prim And Proper will wear the red rug in the final while Burn Time, a wide runner, has drawn awkwardly in box two. 

Most amazing run of the beaten greyhounds in the heats was by Queenslander Maggie Moo Moo, who was beaten just under three lengths by Prim And Proper after giving that pacemaker at least 15 lengths start in the middle stages.

Maggie Moo Moo is trained by Darren Johnstone but Sydney's Bobby Hodges is her caretaker trainer for the Cup campaign.

"Her heat run was fantastic because Minnie Finn, who handled Dylan's Magic, told me after the race that her dog had veered left and severely checked Maggie Moo Moo at the start,'' Hodges said.

Finn confirmed this later, adding "Dylan's Magic checked Maggie Moo Moo again soon after the jump.''

Hodges added: "Maggie Moo Moo's run home Time was only .04sec slower than Stanley's Road's and in a hand-slip I have given her since the Cup heat she ran home in 11.60, which is flying.''

Fernando Cazz, who led until halfway down the straight when third, beaten one-and-a-half lengths in Burn Time's heat, is expected to be the pacemaker again in the final.

Fernando Cazz was having her first 720m test in her heat and there is a theory that an initial staying race can "flatten'' a greyhound.

Melbourne trainer Dave Knocker, whose daughter Kayla Cottrell trains Fernando Cazz, said: "We can't guarantee the heat run didn't take the edge off her but since last week's race she has worked well at home.

"On Sunday, just a few hours after last week's race, Fernando Cazz was bouncing around and looked ready to go again.''

Best Bet Wow (race 8)

Best Value Maggie Moo Moo (race 6)

Quaddie race 5 - 3, 1, 8

Race 6 - 6, 7

Race 7 - 7, 1, 2

Race 8 - 3, 2, 6

$20 for 37.03%