Fast times at Angle Park as Sidney's Shadow shines
The feature race on last night’s exciting Angle Park program was the 2014 Breeders Prelude (1) Final which saw a hot field of SA Bred greyhounds challenge for first place honors. The final was taken out by the Cameron Butcher trained Sidney’s Shadow who continues her impressive start to the year with another feature victory. She won the SA St Leger last month and last night she rated a slick 29.57 win over the 515m journey when she was able to lead throughout and defeat Rebel Kist by 3 lengths with Wingard a further 3 lengths away in third place. Sidney’s Shadow victory took her record to an impressive 10 wins and 10 placings from 22 starts with prizemoney just below $25,000. Sidney’s Shadow next assignment looks to be the second Prelude of Breeders 2014 on 24th April followed by the Group 3 $36,000 Howard Ashton Breeders Plate on Thursday 29th May.
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The presentation dais
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Part owner Karen Butcher with Sidney’s Shadow
The fast times continued last night at Angle Park with greyhounds consistently breaking 30.00 seconds for the 515m journey.
Cairnlea Layla made it a trifecta of wins in South Australia for trainer Robyn Mackellar when she blistered around the Angle Park loam in a sizzling 29.62. She recently transferred her ownership into a syndicate made up of Port Power coach Ken Hinkley and some of the stars of the Power playing group including Ollie Wines, John Butcher and Hamish Hartlett. Her other two wins also came at headquarters in a flying 29.56 and 29.55 and she looks to have a bright future for her new high profile owners.
One of the highlights of the night was the performance of new comer to SA Rulebook for trainer Troy Murray. With handy WA form to his name the son of Premier Fantasy and Umbrella stepped out in a strong mixed 3/4 event out of the red box. There was a whisper around the track that Troy had trialled a Black Dog a few Monday’s ago that sizzled over the 388m but no one was sure if it was Rulebook. Beginning well from the inside box Rulebook punched up on the rails to sit just behind the early leader Lolly Bale however down the back straight he took an inside run and accelerated away rounding the home turn. Rulebook was in no danger as he entered the final straight and all eyes turned to the semaphore board to see his time as he won by an ever increasing 9 lengths. There was a gasp in the restaurant and around the venue when a sizzling 29.26 was displayed. This was clearly the fastest time set at the Angle Park track in many years with most good judges believing that 29.26 is the quickest time since Betty’s Angel for Paul Bartolo won the Interstate Challenge in January 2007 when she rated 29.12. Rulebook’s overall time was impressive but so was his sensational run home time. With personal splits of 4.50, 16.80 and 29.26 his run home of (12.46) was outstanding and information suggests has only been surpassed by superstar Miata (12.33) in the SA Oaks final in September 2011, Bothing (12.43) back in March 2006 and Kalden Mayhem (12.45) in January 2011.
The fast times have been the order of the day at Angle Park since the recent track turnover on Friday March 14 with up and coming staying star Luna Jinx for Gavin Harris running what was considered the second fastest time ever over the 731m last week rating 42.77 only .27 outside the track record and Casmac for Bosco Stamenkovic breaking the 388m track record on Wednesday rating 21.86. Some say it’s because the tractor grading the track is now going clockwise occasionally instead of just anti-clockwise, whatever the reason it makes for even more exciting racing.