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.

Did you bet on the Country Challenge at the TAB? Then you wasted your money! SportsBet offered the best odds, so don’t miss out next time. Sign up to SportsBet today and have access to the most competitive greyhound racing odds for every race, every day.

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.

Want to have a bet on the dogs? DON’T! Not unless you are going to go to SportsBet who have the best value greyhound odds of any bookmaker. Sign up today and enjoy a free $100 bet!

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.

Up the excitement of this year’s Country Challenge Showdown by backing your favourite to win! IASbet will have all the best odds for the final, so sign up with them today to get your free $100 bet!

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

In the latest leg of the 2009/10 GRNSW Country Challenge, rescheduled after a washed out meeting the previous Saturday, Devine Ruler ($3.50) lead all-the-way to beat home She Rose High ($5) by 3 lengths with the Rodney McDonald-trained Best Player ($4) a further 3 ¼ lengths away for third.

Devine Rush, the more favoured kennelmate of Devine Ruler, began as the odds-on favourite at $2.50 but was never a threat finishing a listless sixth.

Devine Ruler ran a sharp 25.67 over the 457m sprint to give the son of Trousers, who only looks to be improving each run, his 18^th win from 45 career starts and his first victory from six attempts wearing the green rug.

The victory accelerated Devine Ruler into fourth place overall on the Country Challenge Leaderboard with 17 points, one point ahead of Devine Rush.

Tadmore Buckshot still stands as the clear leader with 34 points followed by Future Fund with 24 and Mighty Albert not far behind with 22 points.

Parrelli has the coveted Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg next on the agenda for Devine Ruler, who will be facing a huge step up in class when he faces off against some of the country’s finest in the heats this Saturday night.

2010 Temora Cup Results:

A very open field of six runners, following the scratching of Jug Storm and Archie Kane, contested the Potts Park leg of the GRNSW Country Challenge.

After jumping away well from box three, Tadmore Buckshot ($4.50), who also won the Dapto Final leg of the series, cruised to a 5 ½ length victory ahead of the Geoffrey Greville-trained Stun Gun ($4) with Our Miss Vane a mere neck back for third.

Ma’s other runner Tadmore Lyndee ($6) followed in fourth ahead of the odds-on favourite Rema’s Abrasive ($2.50) who failed to fire in the final finding her box seven draw too difficult and finishing a distant 9 ½ lengths away from the winner.

The speedy Tadmore Buckshot (Tadmore Gunshot x Jillabong) ran a sharp 29.99 over the 530m feature for his 16^th win from 53 career starts.

He now sits at the top of the Leaderboard for the current GRNSW Country Challenge with 34 points ahead of Future Fund on 24 and Mighty Albert on 22.

2010 GRNSW Country Challenge Potts Park Cup Results:

GRNSW Country Challenge Leaderboard:

Eight quality runners are engaged in the event including the current overall series leader with 26 points, Tadmore Buckshot.

The Simon Ma-trained son of Tadmore Gunshot will jump from box three in the final and he has a solid record winning one and placing in two of his four starts wearing the white rug. Tadmore Buckshot boasts the fastest personal best time by far here, a speedy 29.77 seconds but he faces a strong field full of locals this Saturday and despite his position on the Country Challenge leader board will have to work hard for a win.

Simon Ma also has Tadmore Lyndee starting on the outside in box eight.

Another quality contender in the Potts Park Cup is the in-form Rema’s Abrasive in box seven. The Edward Foyle-trained son of Over Flo loves the track and has won their past two races here but the box draw may prove tricky as they have only won one of their nine starts from box seven. Despite his less than impressive record from box seven, it seems Rema’s Abrasive does enjoy the outside though as he has a strong record from box eight, winning two and placing twice from five starts.

Geoffrey Greville has two of his sprinters starting, both drawn ideally with Stun Gun on the inside rails and Archie Kane in box two.

Kenneth Lewis’s Our Miss Vane is a quick bitch with a decent chance for a place if not the win here. A daughter of boom sire Surf Lorian, Our Miss Vane has a good personal best time of 30.13. She has plenty of experience at Potts Park and would be a strong local hope if it wasn’t for her awkward box four draw – she has not won any of her five starts wearing the blue rug.

The Potts Park Cup is scheduled as race eight on the afternoon’s  ten-race line up and is due to jump at 3:36pm.

2010 Potts Park Cup Final Field & Box Draw: