Zipping Patch Sets Eyes on Bayroad Queen Stayers
Two heats of the Bayroad Queen Stayers will take centre stage this Thursday night at Angle Park.
The highly-competitive series will no doubt prove to be that again this year with some in-form chasers aiming to take out the $10,000 to the winner feature.
Ashlee Griffiths has been experiencing some fantastic success over the past few months with her chasers and she will take one of the likely favourites for the race in the form of Zipping Patch, who has been a revelation since coming to South Australia.
After going over to Melbourne for a crack at the Sandown Cup, the brindle dog will return for his first start in three weeks, with box seven set to provide a good challenge.
Griffiths was pleased with his efforts in Victoria, with Zipping Patch set to stay in South Australia for the immediate future.
“I was happy with his heat run in the Sandown Cup, he ran home strongly and I am not too sure what happened in the second run there, but the vet game him injury time,” said Griffiths.
“We only sent him over there for the heats, but we wanted him to come back for this series. At the moment the plan is to keep him here.”
The get back and run on dog, will be hoping for some luck in the race, if he is to run down some of the other favourites in the race which will include Troy Intention and Chair Man.
Zipping Patch will go into the race on Thursday off the back of a short three-week freshen up, but that won’t be a problem for him according to Griffiths.
“He’s just had the one hit out since being back, which was on Sunday and we were happy with his trial,” she said.
“I don’t like the draw for him, I wish he drew closer to the rails, but hopefully can find the rail and run his usual race.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The John Sargent trained Fat Boy’s Lucky will be looking to make it a perfect two from two over the 595m distance, when he lines up from box seven in a strong grade 5 field.
After transferring to John’s kennel in April, the three-year-old chaser has been slowly improving, with his last few starts being quite eye-catching, with strong run home times the feature.
Last start he stepped up to the distance for the first time in his career and put together a top win, covering a stack of ground in a small field, before prevailing over the top. The run pleased Sargent and it wasn’t a huge surprise for him.
“Obviously we were happy! It helps when it’s only a three-dog field. I wouldn’t say it surprised me, I knew that they were good 500m dogs and I was hoping that he might have the edge at the end if he was close enough,” Sargent said.
“Obviously with only three dogs in the race, he was able to sit behind them and get over them at the end but he only just got there!”
It won’t be easy this Thursday for Fat Boy’s Lucky, having to deal with a wide draw for the race, with Sargent conceding that his box manners will mean that he is relying on a lot of luck.
“I am hoping that he can start jumping better, because we have been doing a bit of box work with him,” he said.
“He was a bit afraid of the boxes at first and he’s a bit more comfortable now, but he’s not quite there yet, he’s still not jumping. I think he’s waiting for the lids to open and then come out.”
“If he ever learns to jump a bit better than I think he will do alright. If he’s going to be near the middle of the pack, then it makes it hard and he would need a lot of luck.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Bet: Spring Harbour (Race 10, Number 3)
Value Bet: Fantastic Luna (Race 5, Number 2)