Eight of the best bitches whelped on or after September 4, 2007 will line up in the 2010 Queensland Futurity including the three winners from last week’s heats – Gold Nebo, Velocity Trish and Fawn Magic.

The Denise Robinson-trained Gold Nebo claimed an easy victory in the opening qualifier, defeating Sydney chaser Little Sparkle by nearly six lengths. Her speedy time of 30.23 was the fastest of the three heats, but the daughter of Collison has drawn awkwardly with box six in the final; Gold Nebo has never won wearing the green.

Still Gold Nebo, who suffers from diabetes, has shown plenty of promise and ability to overcome the box six draw and claim her ninth career win.

Runner-up in heat one, Kenneth Chappelow’s Little Sparkle still has claims here despite their substantial defeat last week by half-sister Gold Nebo. Another daughter of Collision, Little Sparkle is drawn on the inside of Gold Nebo in box five and is coming off a recent second place in the Group 2 Cyril Rowe Plate.

Last week’s heat run was Little Sparkle’s first look at the Albion Park track and she will have benefited from the experience.

Velocity Trish’s win in the second heat last week was a close affair as she beat home Lilly’s Pride by half a length with Twin Impact in third.

The top three finishers in the second qualifier have all drawn ideally in the final. The Tricia Fuller-trained Velocity Trish will jump from box two with Sandra Hunt’s Lilly’s Pride in three and Twin Impact securing the cherished rails alley.

The final qualifier last week saw Fawn Magic secure her spot in the final by claiming victory ahead of Velocity Regina and Special Chance.  Special Chance jumps from box four on Thursday night while Fawn Magic and Velocity Regina fill the outside two boxes starting from seven and eight respectively.

Special Chance is the first Group finalist for trainer Joy Harding, who has been in the industry for three decades.

The bitch was a surprise qualifier after not even having been originally nominated for the Futurity heats. Harding had the daughter of Black Enforcer ready for a Novice event at last Thursday night’s meeting, but a lack of nominations in the prestigious Futurity saw GQL graders appeal to Harding to run Special Chance. The rest is history.

The 2010 Queensland Futurity is programmed as race eight at the meeting’s excellent ten-event card and is due to commence at 9:11pm (QLD time).

2010 Bogie Leigh Queensland Futurity Final Field & Box Draw:

The chance to add an international spice to the 2010 Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg may have slipped by, but that won’t deter Australian trainers from handling overseas pups in the future for the richest free entry race in the world.

Quarantine complications have prevented accomplished Victorian trainer Darren McDonald from having a couple of Brett Lee-sired Irish pups, headlined by Group 1 Cox Cup winner We Paint Houses, ready for the highlight of the Australian racing calendar.

But after they arrived in Melbourne just last Thursday there is now no chance they will take on the cream of Australian greyhound racing talent.

“The quarantine in England kept stalling us and now we know why,” McDonald said. “One of the bigger dogs, We Paint Houses, was bitten and had a piece taken out of his hind leg.

“As much as we would have liked to have had them ready for the Easter Egg, they’re just not going to be right. I was probably going to be pushed for time anyway, but when they left Ireland they were very fit. But at least we know how to do it.”

Instead the focus will be on the local contingent all gunning for a spot in the heats on Saturday 20 March.

NSW Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association Executive Officer Brenton Scott added: “There has been some marvellous racing so far in the Preludes and we expect that to go up a notch when the heats begin on Saturday 20 March.

“The interest in this year’s event has been unprecedented with $475, 000 on offer throughout the series and it seems collectively trainers and owners are dreaming about winning the Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg.”

Tracey Hurst’s Fancy Mandy announced her intentions with a blistering 29.79s success at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. The effort overshadowed the deeds of Prelude winners Ruff It, a Queensland visitor who was having just his second look at headquarters, and the highly talented Newcastle sprinter Lochinvar Marlow. Both are guaranteed entry into the heats.

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Son of Hallucinate out of Toy Cuthbert, Our Toyman ($6) beat home the Gary Ennis-trained Enry Walt ($7.60) by 1 ½ lengths with Hot Price ($5) a further 1 ¾ lengths back for third.

It was a disappointing finish for the clear pre-race favourite as Darren McDonald’s Launceston Cup winner Gardam Prince ($2.80) could only manage fifth six lengths away from the winner.

Our Toyman ran a sharp 26.95 over the 480m sprint, not quite as quick as when he became the fastest qualifier in the heats last week in a blistering 26.78, but still fast enough to claim his fifth consecutive victory – the 14^th from his 38 career starts.

2010 Exchange Hotel Horsham Cup Results:

Eight top sprinters are ready to fight it out for the title including the three heat winners from last week, Swift Fancy, Magnifique and Fox Hand.

The Neville Brown-trained Swift Fancy has drawn well with box three. The son of Collision was the star of the qualifiers when he claimed an emphatic ten length victory ahead of Tyson Magic and Reign Over Me in a blistering 30.26 (the fastest of the night) from the same draw here last week.

A consistent dog with a solid record wearing the white, Swift Fancy will be the one to beat on Friday night, especially since the final field is missing Goodesy.

The dogs Swift Fancy beat in the opening heat, Tyson Magic and Reign Over Me will have their chance at revenge in the final.

Tyson Magic loves the Richmond track and has again drawn the prized box one for the final while the Michael Cope-trained Reign Over Me is stuck in box five.

The other two heat winners from last week qualified with upset wins and will have a testing time in the final.

Already a Group race winner, Magnifique claimed a mere half-head victory ahead of Bogie Brave and Dark Sea in the third heat last week. Trained by Julie Fletcher, Magnifique has drawn awkwardly in box four for the final.

The third qualifier was the shock result of the night last Friday when the brilliant Goodesy, who started as the $1.40 favourite, not only failed to win but ran a dismal fifth.

Runner-up in heat three, Bogie Brave will be wearing the pink for the final while Dark Sea has drawn ideally in box two.

Winner of the second qualifier last week ahead of favourite Clark No Ee and Droopy’s Fool, was the Richard Dean-trained roughie Fox Hand. Despite his victory in the heat round, the black and white son of Big Daddy Cool looks out classed in the final. Fox Hand will jump from box seven and has only won one of his four starts wearing the black rug.

The speedy Stephen Lambley-trained Clark No Ee is still in with a fighting chance for the Richmond Derby title despite their upset defeat last week and will jump from box six on Friday night.

The 2010 World 4 Pets Richmond Derby is programmed as race eight on the night’s bumper ten-event card and is due to jump at 9:40pm (NSW time).

Richmond Derby Final Field & Box Draw

The TAB-covered Temora Cup meeting was originally programmed to run on Sunday March 7 but heavy rain made the track conditions too dangerous for any racing to take place.

This Sunday will feature the full ten-race card initially planned, which includes eight great finals and two new graded races.

New nominations for two non-final races from the abandoned Temora meeting will close on Wednesday March 10 at 10am.

Penalty free scratching is available for trainers who want to withdraw their dogs from the events.

Full TAB and SKY coverage will still occur.

Click here for a preview of the 2010 Temora Cup final.

The prestigious sprint event features an elite eight-dog line up headlined by the brilliant, professional and dangerous Darren McDonald-trained Gardam Prince. Gardam Prince has displayed scintillating form of late, coming off a five-race winning streak including a smart 26.93 win in the qualifiers here last week. The son of Black Enforcer is looking to secure his second Group victory inside of a month following his Group 2 Launceston Cup win two starts back.

Gardam Prince will wear the pink rug on Sunday and has a good strike rate from box eight having won three and placed in two of his six starts with this draw.

The other highly-fancied Horsham Cup hopeful is the talented Garry Ennis-trained, multiple Group race winner Enry Walt. Although runner up in his qualifier last week, this promising youngster has secured the prized inside alley draw for Sunday, which they will enjoy, and this paired with the fact he has now had a look at the track means he will be hard to catch if he gets away well.

Our Toyman in box two is another exciting prospect coming off four successive wins. Our Toyman ran an impressive heat win last week when he overcame his awkward box five draw to beat home Dyna Obelia in a sharp 26.73. Needs some luck and to keep up the speed if he is to live up to this challenge.

Jumping beside Our Toyman in the white rug is the speedy Hot Price who defeated Enry Walt in the heats. Hot Price is known for his brilliant starts, as he proved last week when he broke records for his first two sectionals in his qualifying win. The son of Bond will be a real danger if he gets to the front early and can reproduce his tempo from last week.

Drawn poorly in box five is the Heather Collins-trained Arsonist, an up-and-coming daughter of Elite State who remains unbeaten in her five starts. Despite her dazzling career to date, which includes a Group 2 win in the DDC Launching Pad, she will need to step up and find the front early to feature here as the quality of her rivals is high.

Having a run in their first Group final is the exciting sprinter from NSW, Pulp wearing the green on Sunday. The son of Collision out of Frosty Fruits secured a great qualifying win in 26.91 here last week and will no doubt improve further on that after seeing the track. Has claims.

The Exchange Hotel Horsham Cup Final is programmed as the eight race on the night’s excellent ten-event card and is due to jump at 8:28pm (VIC time). Other highlights at the meeting include the heats for the Horsham Rural City Cup and the $6000 GRV VBIS Maiden Final (Race 6 – 7:33pm).

2010 Horsham Cup Final Field & Box Draw: