Richards on the attack for Straight Track final
South Australia’s best straight trackers will do battle this Tuesday at Murray Bridge in the South Australia National Straight Track Championship final. A cracking field has come together with three heats run last week. Ben Rawlings has been able to qualify three runners for the final, which will be four when his reserve runner gets a start. Dave Peckham has the hot favourite in Aston Olenna, who has been a deadset bomb for an extended period of time now up the straight, which includes winning the Straight Track Cup in May. Nicole Price has also qualified one with her gun short courser - Patched, whilst Tim Richards has got two through to the final. Tim had He’s On Fire win super impressively last week, whereas He’s All Purpose got through after running a solid third in his heat.
Tim was happy with the runs but think their is a bit more to come from both of his runners in the final
“That was their first look out of the 350, I hand slipped them the Thursday before just off the 300s. I was pretty pleased with how they went, probably not so much He's All Purpose, I think he’s got a little bit more in him.” - Tim Richards.
The box draw has made things interesting with Aston Olenna drawing a less suitable box 1, as he wants to shift up the track and get some room. He’s On Fire looks likely to lead with his impeccable box manners.
“He’s On Fire will probably head them, if he can get a couple of lengths out that will hold him in good stead. The other fella (He’s All Purpose) if he gets closed up that will be the end of him, which happened to Crush Your Enemy.”
“Aston Olenna probably hasn’t got much more whereas I think my two have, but he’s still going to be very hard to beat.”
The week ahead for both dogs looks the same, with Tim not changing anything ahead for the $5000 feature.
“Nothing different this week, just normal, maybe not as much. We will treat little sore spots as per usual and stick to the routine.”
The changing COVID situation in South Australia will make things interesting for the trainers and dogs that run first and second, as they will be in the $25000 final to be run in Queensland, at the Capalaba straight track.
The final will be run at 2:07pm this Tuesday afternoon.
Photo: He's on Fire blazes down the straight last Tuesday
Credit: Kurt Donsberg Photography