Tasracing

The Crosswell family will prepare two bold chances in next week’s Group 2 $40,000 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup Final with the Aston Dee Bee x She’s All Class litter pulling out all the aces by landing three heats on Monday night.

David Crosswell and the Launceston Cup are both of great significance to the Tasmanian greyhound industry.

He and late wife Margaret have prepared three cup winners with Highland Summer, True Vintage and Flash Billy.

The Longford based kennel look well in contention to break their 27 year drought since Flash Billy’s success in the 1994 feature, as David and his daughters Debbie and Michele will prepare two home grown chances in the final.

Quick Joey Small set the time standard for the series posting a scintillating 29.38s win from box one.

The black sprinter was well back into $1.45 favouritism before the jump and rightly so, putting up flying first and second sectional splits, breaking their hearts with a 9 1/2 length victory over the fast finishing Definite Signs.

Winning the cup heat brought up eight wins for Quick Joey Small with 11 minor placings from 26 career race outings.

Meanwhile, litter brother Highland Wonder proved his worth to qualify for the group 2 feature by collaring Gypsies Luck in the last few strides to score by a nose running 29.91 seconds and notched up his sixth career win in the process.

Longford trainer David Crosswell was elated by the efforts of his home grown sprinters to make the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup.

“They are a young litter that continues to excel and Quick Joey Small was most impressive,” Crosswell said.

“Running that time was quite a surprise, though he has ran 29.50’s around Launceston. He shows the ability to be a very nice dog in the making. Highland Wonder couldn’t be better in his win, especially coming from behind.

“To see these pups make such a prestigious race like the Launceston Cup is a tremendous thrill for us and the owners.”

Wynburn Sheean was the third member of the powerhouse litter to qualify into next week’s final for trainer Ben Englund, after staving off Fabulous Baroque to score by a length in 29.63 seconds.

Blake Pursell will have a mighty hand in next week’s final after Goodnight Vicki and Sprint Gordon gave all their effort to qualify, with Goodnight Vicki holding out Wynburn Lethal to a 1 1/2 length win running 29.78.

Sprint Gordon gained its berth into the $40,000 feature when running second behind Siberia in the final heat.

Blake with continue to oversee preparations of Eagles Nest Egg in the cup final, trained by his father Brendan Pursell, who streaked the opposition to score by four lengths from Bees And Honey, running away and clocking 29.66.

2021 Group 2 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup Final Box Draw

Box 1 – Highland Wonder

Box 2 – Quick Joey Small

Box 3 – Eagles Nest Egg

Box 4 – Siberia

Box 5 – Fabulous Baroque

Box 6 – Wynburn Sheean

Box 7 – Goodnight Vicki

Box 8 – Sprint Gordon

Reserves

1st Res / Wynburn Lethal

2nd Res / Gypsies Luck

Watch Quick Joey Small (Box 1) taking out his heat of the Group 2 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup.