Three heats of the 2023 Listed Chief Havoc Cup are slated to be run at Gunnedah greyhound track on Sunday.
Remarkably just 22 greyhounds have been nominated to contest the three heats paying $4,000-to-the-winner of each heat over the 527m distance.
Nominations are incredibly weak given the final, to be run on June 11, offers $40,000 to the winner.
That level of prizemoney is just short of Group 2 level, and yet the Chief Havoc Cup is only raced as a listed race.
The 22 greyhounds nominated boast very few genuine black-type winning greyhounds and Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) will surely need to look at scheduling next year, as the prospect of a trip to dusty Gunnedah while the Queensland Winter Carnival is in full swing has impacted nominations.
Regardless of the quality of this year’s race series, the race series celebrates one of Gunnedah’s local greyhounds and one of Australia’s great greyhounds of the past, Chief Havoc.
Celebrated and eloquent greyhound historian Duncan Stearn masterfully retold the Chief Havoc story for AustralianRacingGreyhound.com in 2015, and we wouldn’t dare try to offer any summary of Chief Havoc’s career that could match his.
READ: CHIEF HAVOC CONSIDERED BY SOME AS THE GREATEST EVER
Duncan unfortunately passed away in April 2019 after a long battle with cancer, but many of his words will live on through the legacy of the many articles he contributed here, and I would encourage all greyhound fans to explore his contributions to greyhound history.
READ: ALL DUNCAN STEARN’S GREYHOUND ARTICLES
With just three heats on offer on Sunday, greyhounds hoping to qualify will need to run first or second, or be two of the three fastest thirds.
In the first of Sunday’s 2023 Listed Chief Havoc Cup heats, greyhound bookmakers have the Reg Gardoll-trained Respectability and the Scott Board-trained Spring Patriot as +240 equal favourites.
Respectability is the 2022 Group 2 Lismore Cup runner-up at Casino over 484m, and was also runner-up in the 2022 Group 3 Casino Cup over 484m.
Respectability hasn’t won since winning a heat of the Lismore Cup in December 2022.
Spring Patriot was runner-up in the 2022 Group The Brother Fox at Dubbo, and did win three starts ago at Wentworth Park in a 5th grade heat in 29.89.
Jet Keen on the third line of betting at +400 is locally bred, owned and trained by Allan Syphers.
Jet Keen, by Aussie Infrared out of Lizzy Keen, is a young greyhound on the way up according to Syphers.
“I’m bringing him along very slowly and carefully.”
“But he is very exciting. In fact, the sky is the limit for him.”
Jet Keen has never raced in black-type greyhound races before but has won five of his last six races all at Gunnedah.
Embrace is the only greyhound in the field that has genuine group racing form having won the 2022 Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal, and having been unplaced in five other group or listed finals.
The Craig Chappelow-trained greyhound is currently +550 in greyhounds odds, and did win at Wentworth Park in best-of-the-night time four starts ago in 29.98
The second of the Chief Havoc Cup heats has the Forbes based greyhound Red Hot Frankie as a -111.11 favourite with greyhound betting apps after being a reserve finalist for the 2023 Group 3 The Brother Fox at Dubbo.
Red Hot Frankie’s trainer Ray Smith will start the exciting Palawa King in next week’s Group 3 Carnival Chase final at Albion Park, worth $60,000 to-the-winner.
By Feral Franky out of Little Nangar, Red Hot Frankie is a litter brother to rising stayer and The 715m runner-up Nangar Rocket, as well as 2023 Listed Winter Cup finalist at Cannington, Nangar Chief.
Red Hot Frankie has won 12 of 31 starts.
The Ron Ulrick-trained Go Bears, and the Josh Board-trained Spring Meteor, are the next best in greyhound betting, both at +380.
Go Bears was third placed in the 2023 Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park behind Victa Damian, and made the final of the 2023 Group 3 New Sensation.
He has won one of his past seven starts.
Spring Meteor made the final of the Group 3 The Brother Fox at Dubbo before finishing unplaced, at his only attempt at a black-type final.
The Josh Board-trained greyhound is the winner of 12 of his 44 starts.
Agland Luai is next best at +450 for trainer Jay Opetaia.
Agland Luai made the final of the 2022 Group 2 Goulburn Cup before finishing unplaced at his only group race final appearance.
The final heat has Craig Chappelow’s I’m Loving It (+170) ahead of the Justin King-trained Reflections, and Street Of Dreams for Jay Opetaia.
I’m Loving It comes in to the heat a last start third in the Group 3 The Brother Fox at Dubbo behind She’s A Pearl, after having his won heat there in 29.61 beating Zipping Maserati.
Reflections was third-placed in the 2023 Group 1 Paws Of Thunder, and made the finals of the 2023 Group 1 Golden Easter Egg, 2023 Group 2 Richmond Oaks, 2023 Gosford Cup, and 2022 Young Star at Wentworth Park.
Reflections last win was eight starts ago where she led all the way at Wentworth Park in 29.77.
Street Of Dreams also made the final of the Group 3 The Brother Fox at Dubbo, after having won a heat there in 29.53 beating Wyndra All Class.
He has won 11 of 42 starts.
The 2023 Listed Chief Havoc Cup final will be run on Sunday June 11 with greyhounds running for a $40,000 first prize.
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