Australia’s owners and trainers have thrown their support behind the Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg with the final field set to include the cream of greyhound racing talent.

No less than eight Group One winners have been accepted into the heats on Saturday 20 March ensuring an exceptional array of speedsters for the richest free entry race in the world.

The elite field includes 2010’s dual Group One winner Dyna Lachlan, favourite for tonight’s Australian Greyhound of the Year gong Cindeen Shelby, Topgun winner Fedex and National Derby hero Elite Blue Size.

In fact all eight finalists from the recent Group One Australian Cup have pledged into their support to the pinnacle of the Australian greyhound racing calendar.

But trying to bring them down will be 2009 champion Dana Beatrice. She and trainer Rod McDonald are attempting to become the first greyhound and trainer to win the Golden Easter Egg twice in its 20 year history.

NSW Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers’ Association Executive Officer Brenton Scott said the response to the $250, 000-to-the-winner event had been overwhelming.

“Just by looking at the top 80 greyhounds for the Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg, you can appreciate that we really can expect the exceptional in this year’s event,” he said.

“The response from all around the country has been phenomenal to the major boost in prizemoney and we expect Australia’s richest race to cement itself as the premier event on not only the Australian calendar, but on the international one too.”

For more information please contact

GRNSW Communications Coordinator Adam Pengilly

Ph: (02) 8767 0517

0401 641 943

Or

NSW GBOTA Executive Officer

Brenton Scott

Ph: (02) 9649 7166

0438 402 198

The Tony Brett-trained Velocity Regina ($2.80) had a sensational run from box eight leading all the way to eventually beat home the odds-on favourite Little Sparkle ($2.20) by an imposing 6 ¾ lengths with Lilly’s Pride ($7) a further 1 ¼ lengths away in third.

Velocity Regina (Surf Lorian x Super Size) atoned for her second place to Fawn Magic in the heats last week, securing her sixth career win from 13 starts, her first wearing the pink.

She ran a sharp 30.02 over the 520m wet track to hand trainer Tony Brett his fourth Futurity win after his success with Bogie Leigh, Honey Mist and the brilliant Queen Lauryn.

The illustrious Golden Easter Egg is the next big focus for Velocity Regina

The illustrious Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park is the next big focus for Velocity Regina.

2010 Bogie Leigh Queensland Futurity Results:

Eight of the nation’s most exciting sprinters will take to the track in the 2010 Perth Cup looking to secure the lucrative $140,000 first prize for their connections.

The brilliant Queensland chaser trained by Christine Robartson, High Earner, is likely to start as the odds on favourite despite their less than ideal box draw of five. The son of Collision was the fastest heat winner by far last week when he ran a blistering 29.93 to win by an emphatic seven lengths in his first look at the Cannington track since he took out the WA Derby (530m) in May last year ahead of Dashing Corsair.

The only thing going against High Earner is box five, as he has only won one of his four starts wearing the yellow.

High Earner’s biggest threat will be Joanne Monelli, the speedy David Hobby-trained bitch drawn ideally on the rails in box one. The daughter of Premier Fantasy claimed a solid win in the opening qualifier last week, when star Australian – Adelaide Cup winner Dyna Lachlan finished a disappointing seventh after starting as the $1.80 favourite.

Joanne Monelli loves box one, winning five and placing three times from her nine starts wearing the red rug.

Other decent dogs with claims in the Perth Cup final include Regent Diamond and Oxley Spirit both drawn well in boxes two and three respectively.

Regent Diamond is one of three dogs representing Nambeelup-based trainer Linda Britton, and her best contender. The daughter of Primo Uno who won the Group 3 Sprint Challenge two starts back has a solid record from box two and if she can pull out one of her recent quick starts she will be in with a good chance.

Britton’s other Perth Cup finalists are How I Roll drawn awkwardly in box six and consistent Cannington track specialist Wassim Bale, looking slightly outclassed out wide in eight.

The Andrew McLaren-trained Oxley Spirit is another bitch who begins well. Has only had 15 career starts to date and is definitely promising. Has been on fire recently winning seven of her last eight races and will be unlucky not to place here.

Also watch out for Zini’s Gump in the blue, a good chance for a place here.

The other feature race at the meeting is the $120, 000 Group 1 Galaxy (715m) programmed as race five at 8:27pm. Also worth watching is the $33, 750 Perth Cup Consolation (530m) running as race three at 7:50pm.

Race seven is the big one, the Perth Cup Final, at 9:12pm.

2010 Perth Cup Final Field & Box Draw:

Race Programme – Cannington – Saturday March 13, 2010:

The 2010 Galaxy final features a sensational field of stayers including the fastest qualifier from the heats last week, Jarvis Bale.

The Graeme Bate-trained son of Sonic Flight ran a sensational 41.36 when defeating Sirocco Style and Blue Lorian by an easy four lengths. The run shattered the track record and it was only his second try at this trip.

Jarvis Bale will jump from box eight on Saturday night and while he has only won two of his twelve starts wearing the pink, is an excellent Each Way pick considering his seven placings from box eight and the fact that his impressive all-the-way heat win was from out wide in seven. Likely to start as the odds-on favourite.

Another highly fancied contender for the Galaxy is David Knocker’s brilliant son of Texas Gold, Drill ‘Em. Drill ‘Em ran a slick 41.43 when he finished ahead of Supreme Command and Symmetry in the third qualifier last week.

Recently named as the AGRA Greyhound of the Month, the four time Group 1 winner has drawn awkwardly in the final with box five. This draw is the only thing stacked up against the super star, as he has never won wearing the yellow rug.

Still, don’t discount him just yet. Drill ‘Em did defeat Jarvis Bale two starts back when he won the Group 1 Super Stayers and if he can find the lead early he is still in with a chance.

Winner of the second heat last week, Next Top Model, also has claims in the final on Saturday after the Victorian chaser drew well with box three. The Jason Thompson-trained bitch beat home Dashing Corsair and Satanic Cash in 41.61 in the qualifiers after jumping well from box five. If she gets away as good as she did then this time she is a definite contender.

Dogs well worth a look at for Place bets include Dashing Corsair and Blue Lorian.

Dashing Corsair was beaten by just under a length by Next Top Model here last week. The Dwyer Lennon-trained Queenslander has been a consistent runner placing second in three of his past six starts.

He stepped up to over 700m for the first time in January at Wentworth Park where he did well to win ahead of Jarvis Bale. Has a fairly solid strike rate wearing the blue and should finish up there in the money if all goes well for him.

Having secured the prized inside alley, the Peter Whye-trained Blue Lorian from NSW is another good bet for a place here on Saturday night. Despite finishing over six lengths back from Jarvis Bale in the opening heat last week, the better draw and first look at the track out of the way should improve the December 2007 whelp’s chances tremendously.

The 2010 Galaxy is scheduled as race five on the evening’s bumper 12-event programme and is due to jump at 8:27pm (WA time). The other feature final of the night, the Perth Cup, will run as race seven at 9:12pm.

2010 SKY Racing Galaxy Final Field & Box Draw:

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.

For further information please contact:

GRNSW Communications Coordinator

Adam Pengilly

Ph: (02) 8767 0517

Or

0401 641 943