In Brief
- Ulverstone trainer making the trip to Hobart with one runner.
- Crawford wrapt with the way Blackwood Vegas is performing.
- Devonport Chase on the radar in November.
Ulverstone trainer Brian Crawford will take only one runner from his kennel down to Hobart on Thursday night when Blackwood Vegas takes her place in the third race, the Jared Davies Carpentry and Maintenance Grade Five over 461 metres.
The My Bro Fabio – Banc De Kahn bitch has won eight of her 35 starts with 11 placings to her credit.
Three starts ago she ran fourth in the Greg Fahey Middle Distance Championship over the 599-metre trip where she recorded 34.44s before being placed at her next two outings and her trainer is pleased with how the chaser has been going of late.
“She is going well, two weeks ago she ran her best time in Devonport in 25.55s, when just getting beat by Leica Prayer,” said Crawford about the performance over the 452 metres with the bitch being in last spot when running off the back before railing well to finish second prior to running in Launceston on Monday.
“On Monday she beat herself going to the outside instead of going to the inside,” the trainer said about the run when she recorded 30.14 over the 515 metres when defeated 3/4 of a length by Yellow Knife.
“She is a very shy little dog, it took her a while to get going, but she is going now,” added the trainer.
On Thursday, Blackwood Vegas comes back to grade five company over the 461-metre trip where she has drawn box six and sits on the second line of betting behind the Patrick Ryan- trained Savage Victor who has drawn box eight.
“I think it is an advantage coming back to grade five, as she is racing all the top dogs up here in Devonport, said Crawford.
Looking beyond tonight the chaser is engaged in Devonport on Tuesday, and given her record on the track, the $25,000 Group 3 Devonport Chase in late November is a high consideration for the chaser who is raced by Crawford and N.W.G.R.C President Robyn Johnson.
“We might try and keep her around for the Devonport Chase, the times she is running at present she should be a pretty handy little dog in one of those races,” said the trainer.
Brian’s son Justin purchased several dogs from the My – Bro Fabio – Banc De Kahn litter as pups from Queensland including Blackwood Polly, who injured her hock in Hobart earlier this year and connections plan on breeding from her.
Crawford had Blackwood Buster engaged in race one, a maiden event, but the chaser became ineligible for that race after winning in Launceston on Monday night.
The north-west coast trainer also had Blackwood Flame engaged, and although she was a second emergency, she was withdrawn after her run in Launceston on Monday.
Thursday’s 10-race card commences at 19:22 with the Kennel Talk Podcast With Matt And Brennan Maiden over 340 metres.
All races will be televised on TasracingTV, Sky Racing 1 and the Sky Racing Active App.
Watch Blackwood Vegas finish second to Yellow Knife in Launceston on Monday night.