The Frank Hurst-traiNed Good Odds Cash will be looking to add her name to a lengthy list which features some of the sport’s greats when she tackles the heats of the Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Oaks on Friday night.
Zoom Top, Winifred Bale and Amy’s Doll are among the big name winners of the Oaks which has a storied history dating way back to 1957 when Winter Sweet took out the inaugural running.
This year the Ladbrokes Richmond Derby and Oaks will be run for the first time on the upgraded Londonderry circuit which only reopeNed to racing last month.
It will also mean that the new 520m trip will be the fourth time the two features have been run over different distances.
The races were first run up the straight over 320 yards, then changed to the grass circle track over 537m in 1974, then in 1999 when Richmond was re-desigNed and a a new loam track put down, the Derby and Oaks were run over the 535m.
Good Odds Cash hasn’t officially made her debut on the new Richmond track, but with her trainer living very nearby, it was natural to think she may have had a look.
“Oh yeah, she’s seen the track,” the laconic trainer said when asked. “She’s gone around there. She went alright.
“But that goes without saying as she goes alright anywhere. She has a good draw which is a big bonus. She’s all class, she’s one of the best bitches in the country along with Wow She’s Fast and She’s A Pearl. She’ll go alright.”
Good Odds Cash has drawn perfectly in box two in heat two of the Oaks and will be shot odds to advance into next week’s $40,000 final. She hasn’t started since June 4 when having the same draw and leading throughout to win at LADBROKES GARDENS in a stunning 29.24s, just a length outside ZIPPING Bailey’s track record.
Hurst also has Ties That Bind in the third heat of the Oaks. She had little luck last Saturday in the semi-finals of The Thunderbolt at Grafton and from the three box will be among the main hopes in that heat, along with Chief Havoc runner-up Fantastic Raven.
In the other heat, Sam Sultana’s Yuko Girl a winner of her past two in town, Dapto Megastar winner Ritza Donna, the speedy Analysing, and smart Victorian Let’s Win Coin are all chances in an open event.
Three heats of the Derby will also be staged with one of the standouts the John and Minnie Finn-traiNedZIPPING Kyrgios who has come up with a difficult box eight draw in heat one.
Like Good Odds Cash, ZIPPING Kyrgios has not started at the new Richmond track but he has been there.
“He’s trialled there a couple of times, and he has been one of the quickest dogs to go around there,” Minnie said. Asked if that meant inside the track record held by He’s Grand at 29.76s, she replied: “Yes he’s gone quicker than the track record set in a race.
“It won’t be easy for him out there and he’s going to need a lot of luck out there, but hopefully he can get through and we can draw a box in the final.”
Another trainer with a leading hand in the Derby heats is Michelle Sultana who has Connections and Fernando Hunter engaged.
Connections, a winner of two of his past three in town, and far from disgraced when second to Bandit Ned at Wentworth Park last start, has drawn perfectly in box one, in heat two, while Fernando Hunter has the six box in heat three.
“It was a good run behind Ned. We all know how quick Ned">Bandit Ned is and while Connections was probably a run short that night, you can’t take anything off Ned, he’s an absolute flying machine,” she said.
“He had a 400m exhibition trial at Richmond on Sunday and ran 22.58s, but that wasn’t with the silent lure (which is used on raceday). He’s got the box you’d think that he would want, I just don’t know whether the silent lure is going to help him come out the way he can.
“It’s a good field with the likes of ZIPPING Maserati in there, so it won’t be easy.”
Among the hardest for Fernando Hunter to beat are the consistent Special Blend and group 1 placegetter Tachycardic.
