Stuart Trio Up For The Sprint
1 August, 2018
Greyhound
Trainer Paul Stuart is confident his three greyhounds engaged in Saturday night’s Crocmedia WA Sprint Championship Preludes (520m) will measure up to the high quality fields they are set to face.
Stuart has Astrozone and Cropduster engaged in the first of the Prelude’s, while Mandjoogoordap in the second Prelude.
Cropduster, the WA Oaks and Westchase Final winner, has drawn box two in her Prelude and will be looking to make it six consecutive wins.
Stuart said Saturday night would provide him with a good idea on where she sat in the local sprinting ranks.
“She’s going really well,” he said.
“It’s her first step up to open grade but she has confidence and a good draw.
“She is getting better and better so now is as good a time as any to test her in open grade.”
Stuart said he was hopeful Cropduster would be able to use box two to her advantage and settle close to the speed on Saturday.
“Hopefully she spears to the front,” he said.
“She’s been running 5.40 first sectionals, and consistently running 29.90s so if she does that she will be a good chance.”
Astrozone’s task of qualifying for next Thursday’s final was made significantly harder after he was drawn in box six in the same heat as Cropduster.
It has been eight starts since Astrozone’s last win, which came at Northam on May 7.
Stuart said the veteran chaser was still in good enough form to qualify for next week’s final, but would need to find his best form from the tricky box draw.
“He’s going alright, but he’s just not having much luck,” he said.
“He’s looking for a bit of confidence and he’s probably not as sharp as he once was.
“He can definitely run a place…then we will just have to pray that he gets a good box draw next week.”
Meanwhile, Stuart said he hoped Mandjoogoordap’s last start win at Northam would be enough to get her confidence back up ahead of Saturday night.
“She’s been hammered at Cannington, she fell and lost all confidence,” he said.
“It was a nice win at Northam.
“She’s going well…but the box draw doesn’t suit.
“We are basically hoping the run at Northam takes bad luck off her mind.”
Mandjoogoordap is in, arguably, the tougher of the two heats on the night taking on Perth Cup winner Trouper Monelli (pictured above) and WA Derby winner West On Augie.
The WA Sprint Championship Preludes get underway at 8.12pm on Saturday.
Tim Walker