Dead-heat double on big night at Angle Park
A healthy crowd was on course last night as we celebrated Christmas in July at Angle Park with punters treated to an impressive performance in the feature event while also witnessing a unique feat with back-to-back dead heats on the card.
ONE Last Kiss is shaping as the greyhound to beat in this year’s 2023 Fresh Pet Food Co Champion Puppy final after producing an impressive performance in Thursday night’s Prelude at Angle Park.
Drawing wide in box seven, it began slowly but was able to get clear running out down the back straight before powering home to win by three lengths in 30.85.
The win was a third career win for One Last Kiss from just four starts and will be hard to beat in next week’s final.
The Bosko Stamenkovic trained Footrot Fender finished in second while Hurricane Carter and Buzz The Hustler rounded out the first four.
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As well as the Champion Puppy Prelude, there was also a unique event on the card with back-to-back dead heats on the card in races seven and eight.
The first saw Allinga Molly jump well from box five, working to a lead down the back before being challenged by Going Undercover in the home straight with the pair going toe-to-toe to the line.
The duo stopped the clock in 31.12 with Victa Monty finishing less than a quarter of a length behind in third in an extremely tight bunch finish.
Spectators didn’t have to wait long for another close finish with race eight, the grade 3/4/5 over the 595m distance producing another three-way finish at the line.
The Dave Rundle trained Air Outlaw lead into the final turn but was unable to hold off the fast-finishing pair of Miss Scallywag on its outside and Zoe Rose on its inside.
The duo came up late to hit the line in unison, with the judge unable to split the pair who finished in 34.53 with Air Outlaw finishing just 0.01 behind the winning pair.
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Along with the two dead-heats, the Rasmussen team had another pair of winners bringing their total to four for the evening.
Bernado Bowl was the first in race four, defeating the Gavin-Harris trained Springvale Maddie and the well-backed Wade Hipwell runner Big Opal Rocks who had its first start in SA after coming over from Tasmania.
The night finished with Victa Tony winning the final race in a best of the night time of 30.67 after dueling with Fantastic Tommy for much of the race.
Fantastic Tommy found the lead early from box seven but Victa Tony took over down the back and opened an advantage.
Despite being challenged again by Fantastic Tommy, Victa Tony held on winning by a length in one of the best performances of the evening.