TOP Tasmanian greyhound trainer Ted Medhurst summed up the chances of his representative in the Wrest Point National Distance Championship over 709 metres when he declared “nothing on earth can beat Miata”.
Miata travelled to Hobart last Thursday and the bitch smashed the 599-metre record in a solo trial at Tattersall’s Park that night.
Medhurst made the remark in an interview with the media after his star bitch Bell Haven won the Tasmanian State Distance final, defeating her litter brother, the Butch Deverell-trained Jethro.
“I couldn’t be happier with Bell Haven’s form going into the National final but realistically I don’t think anything on earth can beat Miata,” Medhurst said.
He mad e the call before Miata ended up with box six at the official box draw at Wrest Point Hotel Casino last Friday.
But even with a poor draw, Miata is still likely to start a warm favourite to take out the National title.
The Paul Stuart-trained bitch sizzled over the 599-metre trip to clock 34.06s which was 0.15 off the Pudzianowski’s record (34.21) that he set earlier this year.
After the trial Stuart said the bitch’s preparation has been uninterrupted and he was confident his kennel star will go into Saturday night’s race at her top.
“I am rapt with how she went in the trial over 599m,” Stuart said.
“She was gazing around and was very new to the surroundings and she probably lost sight of the lure for a moment rounding the top turn but to run the time she did over that trip at her first look at the track was a super effort,” he said.
Miata knows what it takes to win at Group 1 level and she seems to take travelling long distances in her stride.
Stuart confirmed Miata was to travel back to Western Australia and return to Hobart on the eve of the race.
“We’ll go home and then come back next Friday morning so she’ll have 36 hours to recover from the trip before race.
“She is a good traveller so I’m not worried about it and besides it takes a lot less time to get to Hobart than it does travelling to Queensland,” he said.
Miata will start favourite but from box six she will need to hit the ground running.
Medhurst’s bitch Bell Haven usually fires out of the boxes and if that happens she could lead from box seven and she does like to carve across to the rail early.
The Michael Patterson-trained He Knows Uno from NSW will wear the yellow vest but he is in great form with his win in the NSW State final arguably his best this time in.
He Knows Uno was slowly away and settled beyond midfield and when he was making his move midrace he was chopped out and looked to be in an unwinnable position when the leader, Switch Up, dashed clear.
But as only champions do, He Knows Uno dug deep over the final 100 metres, hauled in the leader and went on to win by over a length.
The long, uphill straight of the Hobart circuit will suit this dog’s run-on style.
Irma Bale also has a win over Miata at Group 1 level in Queensland that would suggest she will make her presence felt at the business end of proceedings with a trouble free run.
The Graeme Bate-trained bitch represents Victoria as a wild card entry and will start from box eight.
Irma Bale was the top-ranked stayer in the series that didn’t win the state final.
Her win over Miata at Group 1 level in the Sandown Cup is testament to her ability even though she was beaten on her merit in the state final by the Angela Langton-trained Karanji.
It was an impressive win by Karanji and he would only have to carry that form into the race on Saturday night to be a contender for the title.
Abdon Bale from the Lisa Rasmussen kennel in South Australia has drawn ideally in box two and provided he is in the first three after they have put the first turn behind them he could easily figure in the finish.
Queensland’s representative Tarlie’s Angel trialled over 599 metres in Hobart last week but her time of 35.19 which would have struggled to win a grade five, however, she is believed to have cramped during the trial in very cool conditions.
Jethro was slowly away in the Tasmanian state final last week and copped numerous checks at the first turn.
But he made a lightning move midrace to be on Bell haven’s heels heading down the back stretch.
He tried hard in the home straight but the early buffeting had taken its toll.
With a clear run Jethro has what it takes to cause a boilover but it all depends on whether Miata finds serious trouble early in the race.
If The WA champion gets the clear run she will win by panels and no doubt set a new track record that might not be broken until the Nationals are next held in Hobart.