Behind The Numbers - Mount Gambier Cup
Behind The Numbers – 20i24 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup Final
Sunday sees the running of the Group 3 Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup for 2024 and what a terrific race it looks to be on paper after eight heats were run and won last weekend!
The race sees an interesting mix of form lines converge with local Mount Gambier trained greyhounds, SA metro chasers and interstate raiders looking to take out the big race.
With this mix of form heading into the feature final, we delve deep into the Isolynx data and looking at how the race may play out as we take you Behind The Numbers on the 2024 Mount Gambier Cup!
Note: Due to a technical issue, there is no Isolynx data available for Heat 4 winner Bern By.
2024 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup Final Box Draw
1. Chapel Road -- Kiah Hurley
2. Mighty Quinn -- Rodney Clark
3. Bern By -- Ryan Galea
4. Purified -- Jason Newman
5. Aston Marvel -- Dustin Drew
6. Myall Mate -- Tracie Price
7. Paua Of Silence -- Clint Trengove
8. Uriel Bale -- Robert Camilleri
A track record... but what else can the data tell us.
The stunning performance of the Robert Camilleri trained Uriel Bale to run 29.15 and break the previous Mount Gambier track record of 29.18. It was a brilliant performance from the wide draw and helped improve Uriel Bale’s record to 11 wins from 16 starts in his young career.
It was a sensational run, but it also overshadowed a number of other impressive performances across all eight heats. While the time differences are noticeable, every runner had their own strengths, and we will delve into the data to look at every chaser’s chance in the feature final.
|
GREYHOUND |
Jump |
First |
Mid |
Home |
Avg to Rail |
|
Heat One |
|||||
|
Aston Marvel (Box 2) |
2.14 |
4.49 |
16.97 |
29.72 |
1.01m |
|
Heat Two |
|||||
|
Chapel Road (Box 7) |
2.05 |
4.36 |
17.07 |
30.10 |
1.15m |
|
Heat Three |
|||||
|
Uriel Bale (Box 7) |
2.05 |
4.32 |
16.49 |
29.15 |
1.09m |
|
Heat Five |
|||||
|
Paua Of Silence (Box 8) |
2.10 |
4.42 |
16.73 |
29.58 |
1.57m |
|
Heat Six |
|||||
|
Mighty Quinn (Box 2) |
2.13 |
4.49 |
16.77 |
29.29 |
1.21m |
|
Heat Seven |
|||||
|
Myall Mate (Box 2) |
2.15 |
4.47 |
16.94 |
29.59 |
1.14m |
|
Heat Eight |
|||||
|
Purified (Box 4) |
2.07 |
4.39 |
17.06 |
29.89 |
1.39m |
The early speed battle … a race to the first turn.
The first sections are key in any race and the box draw for the Mount Gambier Cup makes the first split speed battle very interesting. Many of the heat winners in the early part of the day came from wide draws with two winners from box seven and two winners from box eight.
The two fastest first sections came from greyhounds who had wide draws with the new track record holder Uriel Bale jumping in 2.05 with a 4.32 first split and a 3.81m first 50m section. It will have to run similar times to find the lead in the final from his box eight draw with Chapel Road drawing one in the final.
Chapel Road showed plenty of early speed from box seven in its heat match Uriel Bale with a 2.05 first split and a 4.36 first section with a 3.84 50m section.
Chapel Road had to work much harder than Uriel Bale in the second and third sections but having drawn closer to the rail will help Chapel Road in the final.
Local hopeful Purified was also good in the early stages of the race with a 3.86 first 50m section and was able to find the front in its heat from box four and having drawn four again in the final, it will have to match that to find the lead in the final.
|
GREYHOUND |
50M |
100M |
150M |
|
Heat One |
|||
|
Aston Marvel (Box 2) |
3.97 |
2.75 (6.72) |
2.61 (9.33) |
|
Heat Two |
|||
|
Chapel Road (Box 7) |
3.84 |
2.65 (6.49) |
2.69 (9.18) |
|
Heat Three |
|||
|
Uriel Bale (Box 7) |
3.81 |
2.61 (6.42) |
2.55 (8.97) |
|
Heat Five |
|||
|
Paua Of Silence (Box 8) |
3.89 |
2.67 (6.56) |
2.58 (9.14) |
|
Heat Six |
|||
|
Mighty Quinn (Box 2) |
3.96 |
2.66 (6.62) |
2.59 (9.21) |
|
Heat Seven |
|||
|
Myall Mate (Box 2) |
3.95 |
2.64 (6.59) |
2.63 (9.22) |
|
Heat Eight |
|||
|
Purified (Box 4) |
3.86 |
2.69 (6.55) |
2.64 (9.19) |
M
Middle Section... A Mighty Performance.
Entering its heat as an $11.00 outsider and having just four career wins from 31 starts, little was expected from the Rodney Clark trained Mighty Quinn yet it was able to produce one of the best performances of the heats with a 29.29 run.
The brilliant time came on the strength of excellent middle and back-end sectionals with Mighty Quinn producing the equal best time in the 250m and 300m sections of the race.
The powerful middle sections of the race saw Mighty Quinn pull away from experienced campaigners in Long Haul and Kai Bale to win its heat and book its place in the final.
Drawn in box two once again in the final, if Mighty Quinn can nestle into a good position the strength it showed in the heat could see it firmly in the finish again.
The Clint Trengove trained Paua of Silence also had strong middle sections as it continued the good recent form which saw the chaser take out the Gawler Easter sprint a week prior. Paua Of Silence was drawn wide in box eight in its heat and has drawn wide again in the final but with an average running line of 1.57m away from the rail in its heat, the wide draw may not faze the inform chaser.
The middle section times were much slower for Chapel Road who was forced to try and work around the speedy Tommy Tequila down the back straight. The performance was the only real outlier in the middle sections with many of the other chasers split by just a couple of hundredths of a second.
|
GREYHOUND |
200M |
250M |
300M |
|
Heat One |
|||
|
Aston Marvel (Box 2) |
2.65 (11.98) |
2.63 (14.61) |
2.71 (17.32) |
|
Heat Two |
|||
|
Chapel Road (Box 7) |
2.75 (11.93) |
2.76 (14.69) |
2.73 (17.42) |
|
Heat Three |
|||
|
Uriel Bale (Box 7) |
2.59 (11.56) |
2.63 (14.19) |
2.64 (16.83) |
|
Heat Five |
|||
|
Paua Of Silence (Box 8) |
2.62 (11.76) |
2.63 (14.39) |
2.68 (17.07) |
|
Heat Six |
|||
|
Mighty Quinn (Box 2) |
2.63 (11.84) |
2.63 (14.47) |
2.62 (17.09) |
|
Heat Seven |
|||
|
Myall Mate (Box 2) |
2.66 (11.88) |
2.68 (14.56) |
2.72 (17.28) |
|
Heat Eight |
|||
|
Purified (Box 4) |
2.76 (11.95) |
2.83 (14.78) |
2.62 (17.40) |
Mate… what a strong run home.
Local hope Myall Mate produced a brilliant run to win its heat for trainer Tracie Price upsetting the red-hot favourite in Like Wildfire. Myall Mate was able to win on the strength of strong final sections which stack up compared to other runners in the final.
The strong finish allowed Myall Mate to hold its advantage and run a slick time of 29.59 in winnings its way through to the final and with the home track knowledge shapes as one of the chances in the final.
Aston Marvel for trainer Dustin Drew also won through to the final with an even performance capped by strong final sections as well. Aston Marvel has drawn awkwardly in the squeeze box in the final but does have a personal best of 29.49 at the Tara Raceway and if it can match or better that in the final it will definitely be in the frame in the final.
Mighty Quinn was also strong home with his 2.86 marker at the 400m and the 2.90 time the 450m among the fastest times of the day and will be applying plenty of pressure in the run home.
|
GREYHOUND |
400M |
450M |
500M |
Finish Time |
|
Heat One |
||||
|
Aston Marvel (Box 2) |
2.94 (23.04) |
2.96 (26.00) |
2.98 (28.98) |
29.72 |
|
Heat Two |
||||
|
Chapel Road (Box 7) |
3.00 (23.26) |
3.04 (26.30) |
3.05 (29.35) |
30.10 |
|
Heat Three |
||||
|
Uriel Bale (Box 7) |
2.89 (22.43) |
2.96 (25.39) |
3,01 (28.40) |
29.15 |
|
Heat Five |
||||
|
Paua Of Silence (Box 8) |
2.91 (22.73) |
2.98 (25.71) |
3.10 (28.81) |
29.58 |
|
Heat Six |
||||
|
Mighty Quinn (Box 2) |
2.86 (22.66) |
2.90 (25.56) |
2.99 (28.55) |
29.29 |
|
Heat Seven |
||||
|
Myall Mate (Box 2) |
2.91 (22.95) |
2.93 (25.88) |
2.97 (28.95) |
29.59 |
|
Heat Eight |
||||
|
Purified (Box 4) |
2.91 (23.11) |
2.99 (26.10) |
3.04 (29.14) |
29.89 |
Selections – 1, 2,8,5
A final of the highest quality awaits on Sunday and with group 3 glory awaiting the winner it looks set to be a red-hot race.
I have CHAPEL ROAD on top for Kiah Hurley, with the chaser drawn ideally to find the lead from box one. Chapel Road had to work extremely hard across from box seven to lead in its heat but with a sound beginning from box one, I think it will be able to lead and make the most of clear running in front.
MIGHTY QUINN was slow away in its heat but came rattling home and drawn well in box two, I think it will get a nice map into the race in behind Chapel Road. If it can stay out of trouble to the first turn and find a nice spot, it will be rattling home and looks to definitely figure in the finish.
URIEL BALE, I have in for third with the many queries being how hard it may have to work to cross the field from the wide draw and whether it will be able to back up its blistering run in the heat last week. He has never seen box eight in race conditions but does have 3 wins from four starts from box six and is two from two from box seven.
Both Mighty Quinn and Uriel Bale have never seen a field of this quality previously and the Group 3 final looms as a big test.
I have ASTON MARVEL for Dustin Drew in for fourth with two strong performances at the track under its belt and I expect it to continue to improve while PAUA OF SILENCE AND MYALL MATE also loom as possible first four chances.