In Brief
- Third race looks a match in two.
- Trainer confident in Dolly's Dream if she steps well.
- Fitzsimmons best chance looks to be in race eight.
Betting for race three tonight in Launceston suggests it will be a two-dog war between Dolly’s Dream and Thunda Touch.
A grade five over 278 metres, the two currently share equal favouritism at $2.10, with the in-form Dolly’s Dream drawn box two while former NSW sprinter Thunda Touch will be having his second local start from box five.
Dolly’s Dream, trained by Chris Hepburn, steps out for start 10 tonight, the daughter of Cosmic Chief in a purple patch of form, boasting three wins and three placings from her past six outings.
“It’s good to have one going good for once, whenever I seem to get a good one something always goes wrong,” Hepburn said.
“When I first got this bitch I didn’t think she’d go a yard past 300 but she’s kept improving every time I’ve put her around. She’s come along in leaps and bounds.
“When she hits the ground she really accelerates, and I expect her to be hard to beat again tonight. Although she’s in a ‘punch and crunch’ over the 278m, she needs to come out.”
Not two until April, Hepburn says he’ll plot a steady course with the talented juvenile for the next few months while she still has grade six events at her disposal.
“There’s grade 6 heats over the 340m at Hobart next week so I’ll head there after tonight,” Hepburn explained.
“It doesn’t look like an overly strong race tonight but the question is obviously the five dog … I don’t know a lot about it, so we’ll just see. My bitch comes out steady but really goes when she hits the ground – she’s well boxed.”
Thunda Touch is one of two greyhounds Darryl Fitzsimmons has engaged in tonight’s third event, the out of form Ultimate Cosmic lining up also from box six.
Thunda Touch finished third as an odds-on favourite at his Launceston debut on February 17 after posting some slashing times when claiming six wins in NSW beforehand.
With no less than nine runners tonight in Launceston, one of Fitzsimmons’ better chances on the program looms in race eight where the in-form Notorious Tiger looks set to continue on his winning way.
Scoring at his past two appearances, the son of Dyna Double One steps up to the 515 metres for the first time where it’s anticipated he’ll give his opposition plenty to catch.
Watch the replay of Dolly’s Dream winning two starts ago in Devonport