Angle Park Preview - 9th January 2025 - SA Sprint Championship Heats
TELLING THE TAIL by The Shadow
How good is tonight's racing here at headquarters, we have two strong heats of the 2025 SA Sprint Championship which are races 5 and 6 on the card.
They are top class and will make for good betting events. I hate to put the mockers on a kennel but I will?? The Ben Rawlings team should have a massive evening and look to hold all the aces in both SA Sprint heats. Race 8 over the 595m is another we should have a crack at, the First Four is a must to have a go at as its a wide open affair on the box draw.
Race 1 - 5,8,2,1
Race 2 - 1,2,7,5
Race 3 - 4,1,6,2
Race 4 - 7,2,6,8
Race 5 - 2,5,1,8
Race 6 - 1,7,6,3
Race 7 - 3,7,2,6
Race 8 - 5,2,7,8
Race 9 - 3,8,6,7
Race 10 - 2,1,3,6
Race 11 - 3,7,6,1
Best Bets
Race 5 No 2 - Fear The Dragon
Race 9 No 3 - Bundaberg Gum
Best Each Way
Race 4 No 7 - Woodside Frankie
The Boy from the Bush gives his selections for tonight’s wonderful night of racing at Angle Park tonight -
First 4 selections -
Race 1 - 8,2,5,7
Race 2 - 1,5,2,4
Race 3 - 1,6,2,4
Race 4 - 7,6,8,4
Race 5 - 5,2,1,4
Race 6 - 1,7,3,2
Race 7 - 4,2,1,3
Race 8 - 5,8,2,3
Race 9 - 6,3,1,8
Race 10 -3,2,6,1
Race 11- 7,8,6,3
Best Bets: Race 5 No 5 Pet Detective
Best Bets: Race 8 No 5 He’s Magic
Eachway Bets: Race 7 No 4 Immense
ANGLE PARK THURSDAY (City A)
Next week's Angle Park Thursday meeting features -
$22,000 SA Sprint Championship Final (Listed Event) – 530m (Special conditions. Heats 9/1/25)
$4,050 Heats John Gray – Grade 5 – 530m ($14,275 Final 23/1/25)
$2,785 Maiden – 530m
$4,420 Mixed 5/6 Bitches – 595m
$3,680 Grade 6 – 530m (For greyhounds who have won 1 or 2 races)
$7,140 Open – 730m
• Nominations close Monday 13th January with GRSA at 9.00am.
VACCINATION RULE FOR RACING IN SA – REMINDER
Trainers are reminded that Rule 25 (Minimum Vaccination Requirements) took effect Monday, 1stMay, 2023. Vaccination Certificates must be received by GRSA prior to close of nominations for affected greyhounds to be considered eligible for nominating. It is also imperative that once the greyhound has been vaccinated the paperwork is lodged by yourself as soon as possible. Trainers are also reminded that they must not have their greyhound vaccinated within 5 days of racing. Should this occur, the greyhound will be scratched from its engagement or if paperwork lodged after an engagement and discovered the greyhound raced inside the 5 days then the matter will be referred to the stewards.
2025 SA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP HEATS TONIGHT
We have two fascinating heats of the 2025 Listed SA Sprint Championships tonight at Angle Park. They are races 5 and 6 on the program and feature the best sprinters in the state.
The first heat is due to start at 7.58pm SA time and features the likes of Group 3 Gawler Cup winner Pet Detective for Ben Rawlings, Ashes race winner Aunty Meeka for Tamicka Dunn along with Bonfire winner Fear The Dragon for Ben Rawlings who impressed over the 595m journey.
Heat two at 8.19pm features recent Kate’s A Scandal Xmas Sprint winner Peaky Boo for Ben Rawlings against Gawler Produce winner Zinfandel Trace for Gavin Harris along with Adelaide Cup Consolation placegetter Fantastic Spike for Liz Chegia.
The first four placegetters from the heats will qualify for the $22,000 final next Thursday night, 16th January with the Box Draw to be conducted oncourse after the running of Race 7.
2024 MURRAY BRIDGE SPRINT CLASSIC FINAL ON SUNDAY NIGHT
As part of the Fun in the Sun promotion we had four heats of the Murray Bridge Sprint Classic last Sunday night over 395m with the winners being Long Haul 22.21, Royal Nangar 22.42, Son Of Maple 22.52 and Darcy Dakota 22.29. The final on Sunday night looks a brilliant race on paper with plenty of speed engaged.
Sunday nights $10,000 Final will be Race 8 on the program due to be run at 7.52pm (SA Time) with the first of 11 races at 5.31pm and the last of 10 at 8.58pm.
Box Draw for 2025 Murray Bridge Sprint Classic Final over 395m -
1. Masani Girl -- Damien Smith
2. Wild Banker -- Tracie Price
3. Darcy Dakota -- Kerry Stagg
4. Long Haul -- Kiah Hurley
5. Aussie Wish -- Clint Trengove
6. Crush Your Rush -- Gavin Gledhill
7. Royal Nanger -- Jack Trengove
8. Son Of Maple -- Rob Harnas
9. Victory Club (1st Reserve) -- Rob Harnas
10. Nangar Express (2nd Reserve) -- Damien Smith
2025 MOUNT GAMBIER FEDERAL 600M FEATURE HEATS ON SUNDAY
On Sunday the Mt Gambier GRC will run the Federal Feature over the 600m with 2 terrific heats drawn together.
The first heat will be race 8 due to start at 2.45pm and features Aston Hornet, Top Cadillac and Wild Milly while heat 2 is race 9 due to start at 3.02pm and features Tappet, Sher Zany and Windsor Girl.
The first four placegetters will qualify for next Sundays 8 dog $10,000 final on 19th January.
JOHN GRAY GRADE 5 HEATS – NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON MONDAY
The time-honoured John Gray series will be held next month with $4,050 Heats run on Thursday, 16th January and the $14,275 Final on Thursday, 23rd January.
The series is for Grade 5 greyhounds over the 530m journey.
• Nominations for the Heats close on Monday, 13th January 2025 at 9.00am with GRSA.
FEATURE GOLDEN MAIDEN SERIES THIS MONTH WITH FINAL WORTH $10,000 – NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY
The Feature Golden Maiden Series will be held in January over the 531m journey. The $1,640 Heats will be run on Sunday, 19th January with the $10,000 Final on Sunday, 26th January.
• Nominations for the Heats close Wednesday, 15th January 2025 with GRSA at 9.00am.
SA BRED DOUG PAYNE FEATURE ON JANUARY 30TH
The $14,275 Doug Payne SA Bred Feature Free For All (Non Penalty) will be run on January 30th.
• Nominations close on Monday, 27th January 2025 at 9.00am with GRSA.
AGRC GRADE 6 LOW GRADE FEATURE LATER THIS MONTH
The next low grade series at Angle Park is a Grade 6 series over 530m with $3,680 Heats on Thursday, 23rd January with the $5,810 Final on Thursday, 30th January.
AGRC sponsors with $500 to owner and $500 to trainer if winner of Final is an AGRC Member.
• Nominations for the Heats close Monday, 20th January at 9.00am.
TRIALLING OVER AUSTRALIA DAY THIS JANUARY
Please note over the Australia Day weekend the Public Holiday will be on Monday, 27th January so there will be NO trials at Gawler or Murray Bridge on this day.
LOCAL MATCH RACE SERIES “THE SA EASTAR” IN EARLY APRIL
The SA Local Match Race series coined “The SA Eastar” will be held on Thursday night, 10th April at Angle Park due to the SA Anniversary Cup over Easter in late April.
Eligibility for South Australian local greyhounds will be based around the Nationals conditions. They will need to be trained in SA 76 days out of the last 150 prior to the close of nominations.
Selection for this series will only be based around winning times at Angle Park. For greyhounds that have run over the 530m at Angle Park on any meeting since 1st November, 2024 their fastest winning time will be recognised and put them on the list for selection.
The head to head matches will be decided based on the final listing and nominations. Match 1 will be 1 v 4, Match 2 will be 2 v 3, Match 3 will be 5 v 8 and Match 4 will be 6 v 7. There will be no manual selection from the Grader. The top 4 seeded greyhounds will be rewarded with more prizemoney.
Winners of match races – Match 1 – 1 v 4 $4,500, Match 2 – 2 v 3 $4,000, Match 3 – 5 v 8 $3,500, Match 4 – 6 v 7 $3,000 There will be $500 Runner’s Up. Overall SA Eastar winner (based on overall times) - $6,000, second $2,500, third $1,500.
Those greyhounds that have won at Angle Park since 1st November, 2024 are (Top 15 – subject to eligibility) GRSA will separate equal times to a third decimal point if required closer to the event– (updated 7/1/25)
1. Fantastic Spike – 30.25
2. Afire – 30.27
3. Peaky Boo – 30.29
4. Departed – 30.33
5. Zinfandel Pardy – 30.35
6. Bewitch – 30.40
7. Pudding Monelli – 30.45
8. Mallee Beauty – 30.47
9. Hot Lips – 30.52
10. Fantastic Helga – 30.53
10. Dakota Rylen – 30.53
10. Culburra – 30.53
10. Sweet Bee – 30.53
14. Zinfandel Trace - 30.54
15. Versatile - 30.55
15. Woodside Frankie – 30.55
WINNER OF “EASTAR” MATCH RACE GUARENTEED SPOT IN $50,000 ANNIVERSAY CUP FINAL ON THURSDAY 24TH APRIL
Due to the SA Anniversary Cup Final being run in late April to coincide with the Anniversary date of Angle Park which is also over the Easter period in 2025 our Match Race series has been moved to early April. This however does provide the opportunity, like with the Group 1 Adelaide Cup, that the winner of our Local Match races series on April 10 will get direct entry into the $50,000 final two weeks later. This will support our local participants in both series.
With sufficient notice and the encouragement for greyhounds to compete in our race events leading up to the series in April there will be NO trialling opportunities to set a time for this series this year.
SA BRED BOOST – SA CLASSIC ENTRY FEES TO CEASE
Greyhound Racing South Australia advises a further initiative supporting those supporting SA breeding with confirmation that entry for the premier SA bred futurities – the Howard Ashton and the Brian Johnstone – will no longer carry fees.
Since their inception, both the Howard Ashton (Breeders) and Brian Johnstone (Classic) have been restricted to SA bred greyhounds and have entailed entrance fees being paid at various stages from puppyhood to racing.
The entry fees have averaged $200 per greyhound. Prizemoney for the final of both events will remain at $37,500, despite the entry fees being abolished. In addition, the lead in prelude events will be retained.
GRSA is aware that entry fees for the Breeders 2025 series have been finalised with preludes of this event kicking off in February 2025. Participation in this series will be restricted to greyhounds that have finalised the required entry fees. However, any entry fees that have been received by GRSA for the series, are to be refunded by the middle of January, 2025.
Some entry fees have also been received for Classic 2025. These fees will also be refunded by January, 2025. Eligibility for Classic 2025 will not be connected to entry fees and rather will simply be open to SA bred greyhounds whelped between 1st July 2023 and 31st December 2023.
All editions of Breeders and Classic Futurities beyond the 2025 events will be open only to SA bred greyhounds with normal age restrictions applying.
GRSA and the Gawler Greyhound Racing Club have also commenced discussions concerning the future format and eligibility for the Produce Stake, a time-honoured age restricted event for locally trained greyhounds. Further details will be provided in the January edition of Kennel Capers.
COMMENTS ON NOMINATIONS MARKED “ONLY”
A few years ago the Grading Review Panel agreed that some trainers were using the comments box to influence the grading of fields in particular Grade 5 Only for all their greyhounds. The panel previously resolved that “Only” would be disregarded over all distances and the grading left to the Grader. (Masters Only or Juvenile Only will be accepted as this is for a specific type of race) If trainers put “Only or no start or leave me out” then the grader will grade as normal and if a greyhound would be graded into a mixed event based on race wins then he will leave them out based on the trainers request. The more information provided to the Grader allows for him to accommodate those requests.
WINNING GRADE 6 RACES IN ORDER
GRSA reminds trainers to win their grade 6 events in order at a specific venue. For the venues that allow two Grade 6 wins trainers need to win a Grade 6 over one distance and then a Grade 6 over the other distance. If a greyhound wins a Grade 6 and then a Grade 5 then they will lose their Grade 6 over the other distance at that venue.
RE-GRADING FOR ALL TRACKS AND DISTANCES
Re-grading will occur for all tracks and distances for Grade 3 or higher greyhounds. A trainer can apply for a re-grade after two unsuccessful nominations over the corresponding distance. If having met this criteria the responsibility is on the trainer to apply for a re-grade prior to the close of nominations. Only one distance will be considered for a re-grade per meeting. Kennel Capers.