2019 TAB State of Origin Match Race Series
The second running of the 2019 TAB State of Origin Match Race series (SA V Victoria) was run Thursday night at Angle Park in front of a huge parochial crowd, this year there was another 4-0 white wash but this time the Big V turned the tables on the Croweaters sweeping the locals in a brilliant night of high speed chasing.
The scene was set in the first match race when SA Owned and Bred Sennachie for trainer Steve White representing Victoria due to domiciliary clauses blistered around the Angle Park loam in a sizzling 29.21 in defeating Crash Bandicoot for Lisa Rasmussen by over 7 lengths after he led throughout. Sennachie dispelled any thought that he was a bit underdone and that he may not be at his best during the Adelaide Cup carnival, considered the best greyhound in Australia Sennachie produced the 9th fastest time recorded at Angle Park and set down the gauntlet to his Victorian and South Australian competitors.
In the second match race Steinbrenner for Victorian trainer Jeff Britton continued his rise on the National scene with a dominant display of chasing when he was able to push hard on the first turn and hold the lead from Alpha Aion for Ben Rawlings. From there Steinbrenner ran good time in the lead clocking a flying 29.42 for the 515m journey in winning by over 6 lengths.
The third heat was full of anticipation with Hooked on Scotch for Victorian trainer Jason Thompson considered the fastest and most exciting chaser in the land matched against highly talented local hope Fly For Fun for Lauren Harris. As they exploded out of the boxes Fly For Fun sizzled early holding out his highly rated counterpart and continued to do so down the back straight.
They were low flying however off the back straight Hooked On Scotch shifted into another gear and raced to the lead. He was .14 off Sennachie’s second split time however he was careering away from Fly For Fun as he hit the line in full flight. The large crowd gasped as the clock stopped at 29.2 (something) as the judge went to post the official number. Into the semaphore board it went with Hooked On Scotch officially running 29.19 and claiming top spot by .02 of a second with one match race to go. Hooked On Scotch’s last section was brilliant and there were some thoughts of what time he may have run had he began slightly better and not had to course wide around the first turn however most were just amazed at the son of Barcia Bale and Nicky Fields performance.
The final match race was the fourth win for Victoria when SA Owned Spring Bridge for trainer Jason Thompson proved too strong for Canya Chase for Tony Rasmussen. Spring Bridge represented SA last year in finishing second and unusually represented Victoria this year due to domiciliary clauses and showed that he would be a force during the Adelaide Cup series starting next Thursday night. It took some time for him to rail up the inside of Canya Chase off the back straight and from there was too strong in the run to the line stopping the clock in 29.58.
The overall winner of the series was Hooked On Scotch running 29.19 which is the seventh fastest time recorded at Angle Park defeating Sennachie by .02 of a second. Last year there was only .02 separating the top 3 with Nations successful for SA and trainer Tony Rasmussen and it was great to have Nations on hand to lead the combatants onto the track for the 2019 edition. Third overall was Steinbrenner while the best of the South Aussies was Fly For Fun who slipped into fourth with a super 29.57 overall time to his credit.
The TAB “State of Origin” Match Racing series is a lead up to the Group 1 TAB Adelaide Cup series with those heats kicking of Thursday night, 3rd October followed by the Group 1 TAB Adelaide Cup on Friday 11th October. Nominations close tomorrow at 9am with GRSA.
As part of a joint collaboration between GRSA, GRVIC and Victorian Metropolitan clubs Hooked On Scotch will now bypass the heats of the Group 1 Adelaide Cup and will take his spot in the final in a few weeks time. He has also booked his spot in the Group 2 Shootout at Sandown on 14th November if they accept. The winner of the Adelaide Cup will also gain automatic entry into the Group 1 Topgun at the Meadows on Saturday 9th November if they accept.
GRSA thanks the support of TAB and Sky Racing for their support of this series and also the local trainers and the Victorian trainers who travelled so far to ensure this series was successful.
Match Results -
Sennachie (Vic) – 29.21 defeated Crash Bandicoot(SA) – 29.75
Steinbrenner (Vic) – 29.42 defeated Alpha Aion(SA) – 29.86
Hooked On Scotch (Vic) – 29.19 defeated Fly For Fun (SA) – 29.57
Spring Bridge (Vic) – 29.58 defeated Canya Chase(SA) – 29.91
Fastest times recorded at Angle Park – 515m
Brett Lee 28.88 in 2001
Brett Lee 29.04 in 2001
Betty’s Angel 29.12 in 2007
Big Daddy Cool 29.14 in 2004
Betty’s Angel 29.17 in 2007
Worm Burner 29.17 in 2016
Hooked On Scotch 29.19 in 2019
Fernando Bale 29.20 in 2015
Eduardo 29.20 in 2015
Sennachie 29.21 in 2019
Mepunga Blazer 29.25 in 2017
Worm Burner 29.25 in 2016
Classic Capri 29.26 in 2001(second behind Brett Lee)
Rulebook 29.26 in 2014
Bothing 29.30 in 2006
Dyna Double One 29.30 in 2015
Big Time Max 29.30 in 2007
Shima Breeze 29.30 in 2019
Querencia 29.30 in 2019