It was billed as a preview to whet the appetite for the upcoming Group 2 Sydney Cup, and after watching the race last Wednesday night at Wentworth Park, most greyhound racing fans were salivating over the prospect of a return bout.
Promising young stayers Miss Ezmae and Super Estrella, clashed with the reigning champ of the NSW staying ranks, Australian Greyhound Of The Year finalist Stanley Road, and the connections of each runner would have been delighted with their greyhound’s performance leading into next Wednesday night’s Cup heats at Headquarters.
Across the line the result read: Miss Ezmae first, Super Estrella second, and Stanley Road third, but there was so much more to the race than simply the result.
Super Estrella led as usual and again was gallant in finishing second to Miss Ezmae, leading until halfway down the straight and battling on strongly when headed.
Miss Ezmae was very impressive winning in 42.30s and showed great tenacity to eventually get the better of Super Estrella after drawing alongside to challenge a number of times during the run.
The Mark Gatt-trained stayer was the best part 15 lengths behind his rivals heading into the back straight, but as he so often does he continued to make ground and on the line was just three lengths behind the winner.
“It was a really good run I thought,” Gatt said. “He copped it off the red at the start and just lost a little bit of ground but the run was very good.”
Stanley Road was having his first run over 700m in four months, the last being when second to Zipping Rambo in the Group 1 Sandown Cup back in May.
Since resuming in late August, he was second to Super Estrella over 590m at Bulli, then won back-to-back races at Richmond over the 618m before heading to Wentworth Park last Wednesday, and he will be expected to be better this week in the Sydney Cup heats and even better on October 16 in the Group 2 final.
“He hurt his hock at Sandown so he needed time off to get that right and he’s come back as good as ever,” Gatt said. “We have just tried to build him up through those middle distance races, and all of his runs have been good. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since he’s been back and I have been really happy with all his runs.”
Stanley Road has drawn box 2 in the opening heat next Wednesday, and has some handy opponents in Ice Cream Story (box 1), Barsandi (box 7) and Kylie Keeping (box 5).
The Jack Smith-trained Miss Ezmae has been the rising star in the staying ranks in recent times, smashing track records over the middle distances as she climbed to the 700m events.
She set records over the Bathurst 618m and Dubbo 605m, before heading to Richmond and stepping up to 700m for the first time.
That night she clocked 41.42s, a time which slashed 0.24s off the 10-year-old Richmond 717m track record set by Blue Lorian back in 2011.
Prior to last Wednesday she had only had two runs at Wentworth Park, her very first start when unplaced behind kennelmate Jungle Deuce in January and then when she won in best of the night figures of 29.67s back on June 19.
Amazingly last Wednesday’s win was not only her first run over the 720m at Wentworth Park, but only her second ever run over 700m.
Miss Ezmae has drawn box 7 in her heat, and will meet the speedy Prim And Proper (box 8), the Darryl Thomas-trained Line Of Quality (box 5), and the consistent In Your Time (box 1).
Like Miss Ezmae, Super Estrella was having her first attempt at the Wentworth Park 720m on Wednesday night, and just her fourth start over 700m and looked for a long way as though she would stave off Miss Ezmae.
The David Smith-trained bitch also shattered the Richmond track record in running second to Miss Ezmae earlier this month clocking 41.49s, and came within 0.01s of the five-year-old Bulli 590m record, clocking 33.00s back in July.
Next Wednesday she has drawn the one in heat three, and her main rival looks to the Jason Magri-trained Zipping Niseko in the two box.
Zipping Niseko from a 10 week break at Dapto on September 18, and was super strong at the end of the 520m trip in downing Springview Magic in 29.82s, the best time of the night.
