A greyhound by the name of Walk Hard has the potential to earn star status and start favourite for the upcoming Group 1 Tattsbet Hobart Thousand if he can reproduce the trial time he recorded last Saturday in a heat of the series at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart tonight.
Walk Hard, prepared in Victoria by Nicole McRae at Clyde, ventured to Hobart for the trial with the hope of producing a competitive time but when he walked away with the unofficial record of 25.69 seconds over the 461 metres, McRae was thrilled.
The time eclipsed Bergermeister’s record of 25.71 that he set in a race in July last year.
Walk Hard’s trial time was revealed at the official Hobart Thousand launch at Tattersall’s Park this week.
The dog has drawn box one in heat three (Race four) and would only need to begin with them to win if he ran up to his trial time.
This year’s Hobart Thousand series has again attracted a star-studded field with 30 interstate invaders comprising some of the best greyhounds racing in Australia to line up in eight heats but Tasmania’s best will be very competitive against the visitors.
The winner of each heat will progress to the final on December 20 that carries prizemoney of $75,000 to the winner.
While Walk Hard (Bit Chili-Miss Bling) has impressed running solo on the U-bend circuit, there are plenty of other contenders with good enough credentials to make an impact tomorrow night.
Arguably Australia’s best trainer Graeme Bate has won the race four times to hold the record and he has entered seven of his best chasers to try and become a five-time winner of what is one of the most sought after prizes in Australia.
Trainers and owners across the nation have hailed the Hobart track as the best in Australia because it gives every dog a chance of winning because of his long run to the one turn and its ever so testing long and slightly uphill home straight.
Of the locals last year’s Hobart Thousand final runner-up Rewind looms as the state’s best chance of keeping the $75,000 winner’s prize inTasmania.
Rewind has been in sensational form in recent times winning his past eight on the Hobart circuit and since finishing second to Dyna Tron in last year’s Hobart Thousand final, the Morris Strickland-trained dog has been beaten twice in 12 outings.
Rewind has drawn box four in the sixth heat (race seven).
Top Victorian trainer Andrea Dailey won the race last year with Dyna Tron and her four entries this year are serious chasers that have made their mark in feature races interstate including Grigorieva Bale that sizzled around Wentworth Park earlier this year.