In Brief
- Pursell kennel prepares two runners for the Dennis Collis Memorial.
- Attitude Plus early favourite for the final trained by Adam Whitford.
- HGRC honours participant Susan Gittus in contributions made to racing.
11 races is what faces punters in testing their form analysis skills on a big night of greyhound racing in Hobart this Thursday night highlighted by heats of the Ladbrokes Maiden Thousand and the Dennis Collis Memorial Final.
The race meeting is also planned by the Hobart club on the night to honour racing participant Susan Gittus and her 30-year involvement within the sport, including her excellent contributions made to the Greyhound Adoption Program.
Six heats of the prestigious Dennis Collis Memorial were run and won at the Ladbrokes Park venue last week, making up a great field for the Grade 5 Series with Attitude Plus clocking the fastest heat time of 25.95s off box 2.
The Adam Whitford-trained son of Thirty Talks and Full of Attitude will start from box eight in the final as favourite.
Brighton trainer Blake Pursell will take a two-pronged attack into the $2,240 to-the-winner feature event, having trained two promising young litter mates engaged from the Black Magic Opal x Belt Up Tubsy litter both raced by Brooke Ennis.
Buffet Baron qualified for the Dennis Collis Memorial by winning his heat in 26.00s from box eight last week, giving Blake confidence that with luck and coverage early coming from box two the chaser should run to his best.
“Heading into the final I couldn’t be more pleased in how both dogs performed last week,” the trainer stated.
Buffet Baron wins in Hobart on 7 January.
“Buffet Baron is an honest pup that can certainly produce a nice first split and the dog is yet to put a foot wrong in his 10 starts so far, the next few months will turn him into a real nice dog along with the other litter mates.”
The blue fawn dog has raced in Hobart over the 461-metre trip on five occasions for two wins and a minor placing. His wins to date have come from box eight and he is yet to have raced from an inside draw over this distance.
Litter mate Social Distance finished a gallant second to Attitude Plus in the heats last week finishing just four lengths away from the eventual winner, the black dog is racing well having finished top four in recent starts.
“The way the box draw sits I’m hoping Social Distance should give Buffet Baron some cover,” Pursell explained.
“However, Attitude Plus is well drawn from the eight alley and if it gets a clear getaway, I think it will be hard to beat.”
2020 saw Blake and his Brighton-based kennel of 16 chasers’ finish the year off inishing third on the local trainers’ premiership with 63 winners from 25 starters with $171,425 in stakes earned.
Pursell has more runners engaged on the program with Beep Test Baron (box 8) looking to claim the opening event.
The blue sprinter is also a full littermate to Blake’s two finalists in the Dennis Collis Memorial, Beep Test Baron will be making his official Tasmanian debut in the Grade 6 461m event.
Three starts back the Brooke Ennis-owned chaser broke his maiden status at Sandown Park running 29.89 seconds.
Denise Fysh Memorial winner Green Machine is looking to make it three wins on the trot, while facing a bad draw from the inside when stepping up to elite company in the Susan Gittus Appreciation race, which is race 8 on the program.
“Green Machine has turned into a nice U-turn dog and while drawn on the opposite side in box 1, he will need to be on his A-game up against the likes of Hooked On Brenda and Fabulous Baroque both great chasers,” Blake added.
“If there is a clear run at the start, I’m hoping Green Machine should run well to his best again, he always tries hard.”
Watch the win of Attitude Plus (box 2) in a heat of the Dennis Collis Memorial.