IMPROVING greyhound Hard As Nails from the Anthony Bullock kennel powered her way into the Tasmanian Country Oaks final with an impressive win in a heat over 452 metres at Devonport today.
The well bred bitch began well from box six and after a short stoush with Bailey’s Comet and Bit Hot Sally she forged to the lead and had no trouble in staving off Bailey’s Comet with High Sierra two lengths away third.
Hard As Nails ($7.70) has taken her time to expose her best form but given the way she dispensed with her rivals in her heat she will be hard to beat from box three in next week’s final.
“This little bitch has been the quiet achiever,” Bullock said.
“She has always had good box manners and has improved gradually,” he said.
Hard As Nails, a sister to Mumford’s Son that has a much higher profile, has been going about her business without too much fanfare but her record of seven wins and 13 minor placings from 32 starts suggests she is slightly above average.
While Hard As Nails was responsible for some big punters leaving their money on the heavily backed Wynburn Rush ($15 into $3.30 favourite) and Whitford Miss ($8 into $4.60) punters were back on track when Kawasaki Rose delivered the goods in the second Oaks heat.
Although those who took the short odds ($1.50) would have been anxious when she missed the start and settled fifth on the fence heading to the home turn.
But the Debbie Cannan-trained bitch knuckled down to her task and made her way through the field and when she sidled up to the leader Classic Nikko in the home straight she went on to defeat that bitch by a neck with Jonk’s Ginger over two lengths away third and just in advance of Beautiful Bella.
Kawasaki Rose has drawn box six in next Tuesday’s final while Hard As Nails will start from box three and Classic Nikko has drawn well in box eight.
Listen to what trainer Debbie Cannan had to say about Kawasaki Rose’s Country oaks heat win.