Pet Detective wins Kings & Queens thriller
The South Australian Spring Carnival is underway for 2024 with the final of the 2024 Kings & Queens series run and won at Angle Park last night.
The Kings & Queens series is for greyhounds whelped between 1st March and 31st May 2022 and has produced high quality fields previously and this year’s race was no exception.
With a strong field assembled and a wide-open betting market, the race produced a sensational finish with half a length separating the top three runners.
It was the Ben Rawlings-trained Pet Detective who claimed the event, holding off the fast-finishing pair of Lenny’s Honey for Manuel Stuppos and Daintree Granite for Lauren Harris winning by a nose in a sensational finish.
Speaking on the dais post-race, trainer Ben Rawlings said that the success was an excellent reward for the improvement Pet Detective had shown over the past few weeks.
“He broke in really well and then hadn’t really shown a whole lot and he just been sort of steady,” Rawlings said.
“He is really starting to mature; he is over two now and his last six weeks have probably been his best.”
The close finish was a reversal of last year’s race for Rawlings, who fell just short with Could Be King in an excellent race with Fiorano and he was happy to flip the result
“Last year, I was the one flashing on that just missed and this year I was the one leading and just hanging on,” Rawlings said.
“It was a great race; a very competitive race and it was nice to get the result.”
For the May 22 whelping by Fernando Bale x Tangelo Fire, it was career win number 10 to go with eight placings at start number 22 and looks to be a chaser on the rise.
--
As well as an excellent 12-race program, we also had three trials ahead of next week’s heats of the Group 3 SA Oaks and the Group 3 SA Derby.
West Australian trainer Shayne Williams had a pair of runners with Rippin’ Moses having a solid first look clocking 30.42 with splits of 5.22/17.66 and 12.76 while his other trailer Iconic Jet going superbly with a lightning 30.26 first look including splits of 5.26/17.60/12.66.
With eight wins from nine starts and an excellent first look under its belt, Iconic Jet looks to be one of the key chances in next week’s heats.
Victorian Mark Delbridge also had a runner trial with Paw Gunner stepping out over the 530m trip running 30.33 including splits of 5.33/17.76/12.57 for a great first look.
It was a big night for Delbridge, who also had four runners on the card to have a look at the track ahead of feature race assignments. He claimed one winner on the program with Paw Earnest producing a brilliant run hitting the line strongly in winning in 30.42 in a hot race which also featured WA chaser Gouda Monelli and quickly improving local runner Scary Eyes.
--
Tony Hinrichsen enjoyed an excellent night on Thursday, bringing two runners to the track and both saluted at double figure odds. The first winner was the ever-consistent Jukebox Duke who crossed down well from box eight to find himself in a strong position down the back straight before showing plenty of strength with a 12.81 run home to win in 30.76.
On The Northerns was capped the double for Hinrichsen, capping some strong from at Murray Bridge and Gawler to win a grade six race over the 530m trip. From box two, On The Northerns was able to find the lead with a 5.30 first split and was able to hold off the field and win in 30.84.
--
Other highlights on the card include a double for Lauren Harris with Obliterated taking out the first race on the program while Just Alfie claimed the 730m event. Stewart and Cherylee Barber also grabbed a double with their Zinfandel pair with Zinfandel Dash grabbing the maiden and Zinfandel Pardy producing a nice run to win the grade six 595m race on the card.