True Kihael went out as the hot $1.50 favourite and came from behind to score a one and three-quarter length win ahead of Bellbird Park ($15.30), with the ultra consistent Tadmore Buckshot ($7.40), who was the leading point scorer throughout the series, a well beaten third finishing a further four lengths away.

Devine Ruler found the front by the second sectional and looked the winner until the home turn where he tiered on the straight, allowing True Kihael to make their move on the inside, and eventually dropped off to finish last in the seven dog race.

Runner-up Bellbird Park began well from box eight and enjoyed a good run on the outside, sitting as one of the top three dogs the whole race.

True Kihael (Trewly Special x Tell Tall Tails) has now won 25 of their 45 career starts for over $80,000 in prizemoney.

Following the earlier scratching of Devine Rush, last year’s winner Future Fund was a late scratching from the Country Challenge final leaving just seven dogs to contest the title.

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2010 K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Results

The K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Final features the top eight greyhounds who amassed the most points over the series, including the leading point scorer Tadmore Buckshot.

The Simon Ma-trained Tadmore Buckshot amassed an impressive 49 points over the series, a full six points more than his closest rival, last year’s Country Challenge champ Future Fund.

A son of Tadmore Gunshot, Tadmore Buckshot has drawn awkwardly for the final with box four. Having won just three of his 11 starts wearing the blue rug, his chances weaken slightly so keep an Each Way bet at SportsBet in mind.

John Lawson’s Future Fund is back to defend their title and has drawn ideally with box one for his third successive Showdown final appearance. The speedy black son of Hallucinate has missed out on a top three finish just three times out of his 15 starts from the inside alley and looks a top chance of making it back-to-back Country Challenge wins so check out his odds at SportsBet.

Other top dogs lining up on Friday night include True Kihael, the fast paced sprinter drawn in box two; the Patrick Parrelli-trained Devine Ruler in box eight; and Eagleton Lad, the first emergency who gained a start following the scratching of Devine Rush.

The Kim Hyde-trained True Kihael was the ninth highest point scorer over the series, but with the retirement of Mighty Albert made the final field and really does stand a strong chance.

With a perfect box draw that suits him well and boasting the fastest personal best time at this track and distance of all the contenders, True Kihael is likely to start as the favourite, and SportsBet will have the most lucrative odds for him.

Meanwhile Sandown Park are gearing up to host the McKenna Memorial heats tonight featuring talent including Dashing Corsair, Allen Zander, Pulp, Jarvis Bale, Smooth Fancy & Flash of Light.

The K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Final is scheduled as race six on Wentworth Park’s cracker 10-event programme on Friday night and is due to jump at 8:17pm.

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2010 K.S. Black & Co Country Challenge Showdown Final Field & Box Draw

A journey encompassing more than 7,000kms around regional NSW has netted trainer Simon Ma the $10,000 bonus as overall Greyhound Racing NSW Country Challenge Champion.

Their experienced campaigner Tadmore Buckshot, owned by Tom Astbury, accumulated 49 points throughout the 2009-10 series, which races at 28 Non-TAB tracks statewide. Ma’s commitment to the series meant he travelled to all corners of the state from his Sydney base, winning legs at Dapto, Potts Park and Gunnedah. That last win was enough to secure the title as overall series winner and ward off the threat from John Lawson’s evergreen Future Fund.

But the prize money handout won’t end there, with the top eight pointscorers all invited to compete in the K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown at Wentworth Park on Friday 9 July. The finalists for the event, bearing $20,000 in prize money, have now been confirmed.

The big beneficiary is Kim Hyde’s Wagga track record holder True Kihael, who has won a place in the lucrative race despite finishing the series in equal ninth. The retirement of Mighty Albert meant True Kihael was elevated into the race ahead of Eagleton Lad (first reserve) on a countback.

Defending K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown Champion Future Fund will remarkably line up for his third consecutive Showdown appearance, while Patrick Parrelli will box two hopefuls in the form of Devine Ruler and Devine Rush.

The night is one of the highlights of the calendar for regional-based owners and trainers as the bush comes to the city. Greyhound Racing NSW has already handed out more than half a million dollars in prize money during the first three years of the Country Challenge concept and has again put back more than $170,000 into the sport in the 2009-10 series.

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K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown Finalists

For further information please contact:
GRNSW Communications Coordinator
Adam Pengilly
Ph: (02) 8767 0517
Mob: 0401 651 943

After Saturday night’s heats, the Jason MacKay-trained Big Bunga drew ideally for the final with box one, the draw making the world of difference.

The GRNSW Country Challenge Final will take place at Wentworth Park on Friday July 9

In the final the speedy son of Hallucinate started as equal $4.40 second favourite, burst from box one and ran along the rails to defeat the classy Elite Blue Size ($1.80) by a mere neck with Tricky Uno ($8) finishing third a further 2 ¼ lengths back.

After a hectic start, Big Bunga pushed his way to the front and was battling with Royal Surfer and Marco Man for the lead coming into the turn.

Elite Blue Size had a slow start, and was super impressive to come within a neck of scoring their fourth Group victory this season after the Reg Kay-trained champion put a late challenge to Big Bunga on the outside.

Big Bunga won in a sharp time of 23.29 and has now won 10 of his 17 career starts.

The Border Park Galaxy was the latest leg in the GRNSW Country Challenge series, which comes to a close with the highly anticipated final at Wentworth Park on Friday July 9.

2010 Border Park Galaxy Results

Greyhound Racing NSW has today confirmed the date for the 2009-10 K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown has been brought forward to Friday 9 July.

The event, which features $20,000 in prize money for the top eight point scorers in the GRNSW Country Challenge series, is being moved from Saturday 10 July to take advantage of the introduction of Friday night racing at Wentworth Park from July 1.

The K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown will be only the second Friday night of greyhound racing at headquarters. NSW’s premier greyhound racing venue moves into an exciting era with metropolitan racing to be staged on a Friday and Saturday night just a kilometre from the Central Business District.

“This represents a new dawn for our sport as we look to position it appropriately for the challenges it faces in the medium to long term,” said GRNSW Chief Executive Brent Hogan.

“Having racing on a Friday night at Wentworth Park will enable us to expand our core customer base and welcome new people to the sport. Before long, greyhound racing will be the only code to race in the city on a Friday night after scheduling changes in other sports.

“The K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase how successful Friday night racing can be at Wentworth Park. It marks the end of 10 months of exciting racing in the Country Challenge series all across the state and provides country owners and trainers with an opportunity to have their time in the limelight.”

It is the second year that accounting firm K.S. Black & Co. Have sponsored the Country Challenge Showdown concept and Partner Stuart Cameron is excited about his involvement again in 2010.

“Our partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW, in particular through the Country Challenge series, is one that we’re very proud of,” Mr Cameron said.

“We had a great time at the Showdown last year and can’t wait to see what type of interest it will generate on a Friday night this year.”

The GRNSW Country Challenge races at 28 Non-TAB tracks state wide stretching from Wagga Wagga in the south, Tweed Heads in the north to Broken Hill in the west. Greyhounds accumulate points according to their finishing positions in the finals of each leg with the connections of the highest scoring greyhound pocketing a $10,000 bonus as overall Country Challenge Champion.

The top eight point scorers are then invited to compete in the K.S. Black & Co. Country Challenge Showdown at Wentworth Park. GRNSW has again injected another $170,000 into the Country Challenge in 2009-10 meaning its overall contribution stands at almost three-quarters of a million dollars since the concept’s inception four years ago.

For further information please contact:

GRNSW Communications Co-Ordinator

Adam Pengilly

Ph: (02) 8767 0517

Mob: 0401 641 943

Grand Canyon ($6) beat home the Russell Harland-trained Miss Mason ($5), now sitting in eighth place overall on the Country Challenge Leaderboard, by three lengths with Graham Pickering’s Muscle’s Monaro ($6) a further two and a half lengths back for third.

Pickering’s other runner Royal Court came in fourth beating fifth placegetter Country Spot by just a head.

Grand Canyon’s kennelmate and the $2 odds-on favourite following his fast 23.22 heat win Monkey Harris found their box five draw too awkward and finished a dismal seventh, while equal second elects at $3, Cyclone Country and Fernanado also failed to fire in the final coming in sixth and eighth respectively.

Grand Canyon (Surf Lorian x Tizza Hypo) ran a scintillating 23.16 over the 400m sprint, surprising even his trainer with his speed considering he weighs in at a hefty 35kg, and has now won 14 of his 36 career starts including seven of his last nine.

Next on the GRNSW Country Challenge calendar is the Nowra Cup heats at Shoalhaven GRC on Saturday followed by the Forbes Cup heats on Sunday.

2010 GRNSW Country Challenge Coonamble Country Cup Results: