THE 2010 Wrest Point Hobart Thousand greyhound series was officially launched at Tattersall’s Park at Elwick today with last year’s winner Prankster a star attendee.
Prankster gave top Victorian trainer Robert Britton his first Hobart Thousand winner last year but this year the mentor has handed over the training role to top Tasmanian mentor Mick Stringer.
Britton also has dispatched his rising star Banger Harvey to give Stringer a two-pronged attack going into the race series that is regarded as one of the best and most popular in Australia.
“I’m rapt to have these two dogs in my care for the series because I didn’t have any of my own ready for the race,” Stringer said.
Stringer is no stranger to the Hobart Thousand winner’s podium as he prepared Little Spaniard to take out the 2008 Thousand and he also provided the runner-up Topline Doovee.
The final carries prize money of $107,000 with the connections of the winner to earn $75,000.
While Prankster is one of the draw cards of the race series along with recent Group 1 Melbourne Cup placegetters Dee Winter and last week’s Group 1 Brisbane Cup second placegetter Octane Show, all eyes will be on heat five (race six) tomorrow night which includes Tasmania’s star sprinter Damek.
The Eileen Thomas-trained dog is undefeated from 11 starts on the Hobart track and he has three times claimed the 461-metre track record with his latest best 25.79 seconds set on November 18 in a heat of the Betfair Gold Cup.
Hobart Greyhound Racing Club president Denise Fysh says this year’s race is arguably the best in decades in terms of depth of interstate entries.
Many of the greyhounds from interstate have outstanding form but it is also great that they will all have to bring their best form to be any chance of matching it with our own star Damek.
If Damek makes it through to the final then anyone with even the faintest interest in greyhound racing will be watching the Wrest Point Hobart Thousand final on December 16.
The eight heats will be run at Tattersall’s Park tomorrow night (December 9) with the final a week later.