Festival of Fire set to ignite at Angle Park
Festival Of Fire Series Lights Up
A massive night awaits at Angle Park on Thursday, with the beginning of the Festival Of Fire series, which is a significant event on the South Australian Greyhound Racing Calendar for local participants.
Now in its fourth year, the Festival Of Fire will see a range of races held, which include The Ashes, The Inferno, The Flame, The Bonfire, The Spark, The Ember and The Blaze, will these races aimed at providing all chasers within the state the opportunity to tackle a feature race.
The biggest and most lucrative of the races is ‘The Ashes’ which is for our top 16 rated chasers in the state and it will be run over the 530m distance. Two heats will be held on Thursday night for The Ashes and their is some strong quality throughout.
Robyn Mackellar will take the very inform Departed into the series, with the black dog finding a new lease on life in recent times, finding his best form and winning three out of his four South Australian starts since relocating from Queensland.
Last week he won the fast class event in a slick 30.49, which included a flying 17.49 back split, with that run following a 30.33 win the week before. His recent form has impressed Mackellar and taken her by a bit of a surprise given what she saw from him in Queensland.
“Well he’s getting out of the boxes a bit better than all the replays I watched of him, so he’s taking us all a little bit by surprise I think.” said Mackellar
“He’s done it three times in a row now (run a fast back split), so I don’t know, he’s a happy boy.”
“He’s gone through the grades quite quickly, because up there (Albion Park) he was a free for all straight away, down here he started as a grade 5. He’s ticking along nicely.”
Departed will exit box two on Thursday night, in a race that is unsurprisingly strong. With a couple of quick beginners in Peaky Boo and Afire drawn outside him, he will need to start like he has been.
“He won’t be afforded any mistakes, that's for sure, the five (Pet Detective) has been firing well. Peaky Boo is just coming back from a lengthy spell, I think Afire is going to be a big chance as well, he’s ticking along well.” said Mackellar
“They would want to be running home pretty quick to get him (if he led), he’s had a pretty light week this week, so we will see what happens.”
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One of the other highlight series throughout the Festival Of Fire is ‘The Bonfire’ which is run over the 595m distance and open to our top 16 rated chasers.
Tim Richards will line up his very promising chaser Canya Striker in the first of the two heats, with the black dog looking to continue his terrific form.
Since arriving from Victoria, he has shown a lot of improvement and has won five of his seven starts, which includes his last four. In what was his toughest race yet, he won a Grade 5 last week at Angle Park, defeating a good field and running a sharp 34.34, which Richards was pleased with given the strength of the race.
“You’ve got to take into account that those three or four wins were in Grade 6s, but that win last Thursday night was against stronger opposition and he will cop stronger again Thursday night.” said Richards
“He’s around the mark.”
Canya Striker is well drawn on Thursday, coming up with box two and being near the rail, which is what both he and Richards want. With a slight lack of early pace in the race, Canya Striker will get his chance to settle close enough early in the run, as he sets his sights on extending the picket fence. A top four finish will see him make the final next week, which is what Richards would like to see.
“Inside draw is no problem, we got a little bit of luck last week, he got knocked once sideways but then got through it.” said Richards
“I think so (being a good chance), I think he can make the final, put it that way. I don’t know what’s going to happen though, he might get checked and things like that.”
The cracking night ahead is set to start at 6:40pm