In Brief
- Two heats for the LGRC Tasbred Maiden Series on Monday night.
- Final worth $6,230 to the winner.
- Quality invitation starts Monday's quaddie.
Despite the massive 11-race program run in Devonport on Good Friday, fields have held up well for the program in Launceston on Monday night with 10 races scheduled.
Two heats of the LGRC Tasbred Maiden Series make up half of Monday night’s quaddie legs, where after scratching’s only 12 greyhounds will take part.
Trainer Gary Johnson had four of the 11 winners in Devonport last Friday including Buckle Up Aislin and Hiccup Amisha and by losing their maiden status they subsequently become ineligible for the series.
That pair being scratched from the second of Monday’s heats has opened up the race with bookmakers having a hard time separating Nanna’s Kiss ($2.80) and Apache Runner ($2.25) in morning betting.
The Butch Deverell-trained Nanna’s Kiss has the advantage of the red box for the 515m event and has been a model of consistency throughout March, participating in four consecutive Monday night programs and running third in each of them.
Those performances have all been over the 278m sprint in Launceston however and the rise in distance will no doubt be a query as it will for Apache Runner (box 7), from the Leonard Howard kennel, whose recent performances have also been over the short sprints.
The first of the heats presents an even greater challenge for bookmakers and punters alike with Maddie’s Help (box 3), Hello (box 7) and Enola (box 8) all hovering around the $2.70 mark in betting.
Despite the limited number of participants in the maiden series, trainers will be eager to qualify for next Monday night’s final which carries a winning prize cheque of $6,230 to the winner.
Monday night’s quadrella starts with a good invitation race where punters should have a better grasp on the form.
Two of the three placegetters from February’s Ladbrokes Launceston Cup headline the field through Sprint Gordon (box 7) and Goodnight Vicki (box 2), both trained by the in-form Blake Pursell.
While both runners have been participating in the state’s best races in recent months, the pair have a combined winless streak of 13 starts, but bookmakers expect that to end for one of the chasers on Monday night with Goodnight Vicki the $2.60 favourite just ahead of her kennel mate Sprint Gordon at $3.
The first of 10 races at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre is scheduled for 19:34. All races will be shown on Sky Racing 1 and TasracingTV.
Watch the replay of Goodnight Vicki (box 2) finishing second in Launceston last Monday night.