Two more tracks ran heats of The Thunderbolt on Tuesday night greyhound racing with Bulli and Gosford holding heats, after Wagga greyhounds held the first round of heats on Friday night.
Bulli greyhound track received enough nominations to run four heats of The Thunderbolt over 340m with the winners only to progress through to the next stage.
Rob Tyler took the training honours winning Bulli Thunderbolt heat three with Wicked Cyclone in 19.13, to be the quickest qualifier from Bulli.
Wicked Cyclone (box three) was sent to the boxes the +200 second favourite with greyhound bookies, behind odds-on favourite Perfect Dawn from box one.
Wicked Cyclone though was able to jump straight on the heels of the favourite, Perfect Dawn, and stalk that greyhound in the run, before surging past late to win comfortably in 19.13 best-of-night.
Bulli Thunderbolt Heat 3 (340m) – Wicked Cyclone (19.13) T: Rob Tyler
Wicked Cyclone, by Barcia Bale out of Bit Wicked, has won 15 of 32 starts, and run 12 placings, amassing $29,990 in career prizemoney for connections.
Wicked Cyclone was also nominated for the Goulburn Thunderbolt heats on June 9, so it will be interesting to see what New South Wales (NSW) Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) stewards and Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) race managers now do with the greyhound.
If Wicked Cyclone were to qualify again through the Goulburn heats, then there would only be 31 greyhounds contesting the Grafton semi-finals.
Wicked Cyclone’s win gives greyhound trainer Rob Tyler three Thunderbolt semi-finalists, after he qualified Seely’s Queen and Preston Lee through the Wagga Thunderbolt heats.
Coco Model turned around a string of eight beaten races, and a last start fall, to win the last of the Bulli Thunderbolt heats in 19.16 for trainer Tayt Corless.
Coco Model was sent out a +260 equal favourite on greyhound betting sites with Oboya Bale, who had beaten Coco Model at her past two starts.
Jumping quickly from box four, Coco Model was able to race up outside Oboya Bale from the outset, and although the two raced together for a while, it was clear Coco Model was always in control.
Bulli Thunderbolt Heat 4 (340m) – Coco Model (19.16) T: Tayt Corless
Coco Model (Barcia Bale x Champion Model) was placed third in the 2021 Group 1 Paws Of Thunder final and backed up a year later to make the final of the same race.
She was also a finalist in the 2023 Group 2 Gosford Gold up, and has 67 starts for 19 wins and 25 placings, earning $96,860 in prizemoney.
The opening heat of the Bulli Thunderbolt was taken out by the Dubbo-based greyhound Return Mac, trained by Shayne Stiff, who was the +100 favourite on greyhound betting apps.
Starting from box two, Return Mac used the box to hold out Purify Virtuoso early, before clinging on to win in 19.24, to just beat Rebel Garth who was flying home late from the tail of the field.
Bulli Thunderbolt Heat 1 (340m) – Return Mac (19.24) T: Shayne Stiff
Return Mac (Fernando Bale x Caitlyn Keeping) has has 52 starts for 22 wins and 11 placings, earning $67,340.
The 2023 Group 3 Taree Cup finalist is also nominated for the Dubbo Thunderbolt heats on June 10.
Heat two of the Bulli Thunderbolt heats was won by the Steven Sealey-trained Senorita Joy, who led almost all the way from box in what was a massive upset for punters.
The daughter of El Grand Senor and Starboost was away with the field in a very competitive race early, before using the advantage of the inside to avoid trouble and surge away in 19.49.
Senorita Joy was paying +8000 in greyhound betting, and the pain for punters was amplified by Joshua Keeping finishing second, who was also the equal rank-outsider of the field at greyhounds odds of +8000.
Bulli Thunderbolt Heat 2 (340m) – Senorita Joy (19.49) T: Steven Sealey
Senorita Joy has started 55 times for 10 wins and eight placings, and won $21,925 in prizemoney.
The Thunderbolt heats continue on Wednesday at Taree greyhound track, with further heats to be run at Goulburn, Richmond, Dubbo, and Grafton.
Four greyhounds will progress from each track series to the semi-finals.
Greyhounds that qualified through the Wagga heats on Friday are Loretta Bale, Seely’s Queen, Preston Lee, and Talakai, who ran a new Wagga 320m track record.
Four greyhounds qualified through the two Gosford Thunderbolt heats, giving Robert Howard two The Thunderbolt semi-final qualifiers after winning both heats with Clock Off and Pennies Forever.
Jeager Bullet and Aston Roja also qualified as second placegetters.
The 32 semi-finalists will converge on Grafton on June 18 for four semi-finals, with first and second progressing to the $75,000-to-the-winner final on June 24.
The Thunderbolt race series is worth over $200,000 for the NSW short course dogs.
2023 The Thunderbolt Semi Finalists
Wagga Heats
- Talakai – T: Wayne Wilmott
- Loretta Bale – T: Ike McCorkindale
- Seely’s Queen – T: Rob Tyler
- Preston Lee – T: Rob Tyler
Gosford Heats
- Clock Off – T: Robert Howard
- Pennies Forever – T: Robert Howard
- Jeager Bullet – T: Leslie Chaytor
- Aston Roja – T: Brian Hampton
Bulli Heats
- Wicked Cyclone – T: Rob Tyler
- Coco Model – T: Tayt Corless
- Return Mac – T: Shayne Stiff
- Senorita Joy – T: Steven Sealey