A 12-race program – with starts at 297m, 520m and 600m - kicks off at 6:55pm on Thursday, August 24 at Dapto. Here’s our forecast of the card.
BEST BET
R5 - #2 Taw Commander | Andrew Rowe
Got the money for ‘Rowey’ and Forecast followers last week with a scintillating performance, stopping the clock in a very sharp 29.77 and putting 8.75 lengths on runner-up Flash As Joe in a career best effort.
That time was by far the fastest of the three heats last week (next best was Banfield in 30.01) and after drawing to get a similar run in this Thursday’s 5th grade series final, Taw Commander (Box 2) looks hard to beat again.
Banfield in Box 1 will give some cheek and does possess early pace to rival our pick, but with Sin Rap Miss drawing Box 3 and running a fairly straight line out, the two inside dogs should get plenty of cover as they charge into the first turn.
Taw Commander is building a great record (15: 6-3-0), he likes the Dapto track (4: 2-1-0) and the arrow is still firmly trending upwards for this son of the Andrew Rowe-trained Wayang Angel, so for the second week in a row, he is our best bet on the Dapto card.
The speedy litter sister to 15-time winner Mortified and 2023 NSW National Sprint champion Modern Swinger returns to Dapto for her first 520m at the track since June last year.
A lot has happened since she ran 30.46 and 30.57 at the circuit in her first two career runs in the Winter of 2022 though.
Quantifiable has claimed 14 race wins including five at Wentworth Park. She’s racked up a handful of victories at Dapto over the shorts including a run of 16.70. And she’s stamped herself as one of the best beginners in the state.
She meets a strong field a week out from the heats of the Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar but she’s almost a certainty to lead them through the pen on Thursday night and from there, it’ll be up to the likes of Screaming Jet and Elle Yeah to chase her down.
We know Dapto tends to favour on pace greyhounds and with five wins from her last eight starts, we like Quantifiable as one of the bets of the program.
Quantifiable has almost been unstoppable over 297m at Dapto but is yet to win over the 520m journey
RACE OF THE NIGHT
Race 6 | Commercial Painting Group NG 1-4 | 520m
The final top grade hit out before the Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar heats are unveiled this time next week and a few key runners are engaged as they look to sharpen up ahead of the $75,000-to-the-winner feature.
Shanghai Suzie (Box 1) actually debuted on Megastar night in 2022, winning her maiden over 520m in a sharp time of 30.08. She has been relatively lightly raced so far this year with only the 14 starts but her record of six wins and four minors is impressive. Ran second to Tarawi Rocky in the G3 Nowra Puppy Classic back in April and set a PB at Dapto of 29.95 back in January. Gets the gun inside draw but will have to outpace some experienced chasers early to hold the lead and the rail.
We’ve spoken at length about Quantifiable (Box 2) already and she looks the testing material.
Elle Yeah (Box 3) was a Golden Easter Egg finalist back in April and ran a strong 29.88 to finish fifth in that race behind bonafide Group performers Simply Limelight, Baby Jaycee, Custard Monelli and Reflections. She’s honest as the day is long and has been racing in top quality fields for much of 2023. Last run of 29.86 at Nowra was just her second 520m run in two months so should be hard fit now and has gone 29.82 at Dapto.
Steve Fitch rugs up Cumbria Days (Box 4) and he has been mixing it with some smart types of late. Fourth to One Hot Bandit last start, fourth to Modern Swinger in July and fourth (there’s a pattern emerging here) to Screaming Jet in June. Probably just a rung below the best in this race but has winning form over the middle distance recently so should be strong late.
Nordic Shiraz (Box 5) won three straight in July at Wentworth Park and Nowra but the draw makes this tough for her. Has won over the Dapto 520m in 30.06 but would need to go quicker to feature.
Screaming Jet (Box 6 and pictured below) has emerged as a potential star in recent months with strong performances in both the Southern Stars series (second behind Big Daddy) and NSW National Sprint final (third to Modern Swinger). Never raced at Dapto so looks like a scouting mission ahead of next week’s feature heats and if he had drawn better, he’d be a warm favourite. Has eight wins at Wenty Park and seven of those have broken 30 seconds. If he ends up on Quantifiable’s tail up the back straight, I think he will be too strong late but will need luck to land there.
Screaming Jet has won 10 of his 21 career starts to go with eight minor placings
My Margarita (Box 7) is the evergreen old timer but has been in good form of late. Better over further and best is behind him but knows the track (12: 4-2-3) and will be finishing well.
And Energizer Miss (Box 8) keeps bobbing up in good quality affairs and although she’s not winning much of late, she has run some nice races. Caught between grades a little bit and although she likes the wide draw (5: 1-3-1), her best of 30.08 suggests she might find the greyhounds drawn inside a little too nippy.
The Dogs Tips |
#2 Quantifiable
#6 Screaming Jet
#3 Elle Yeah
#5 Nordic Shiraz
TRAINER IN FOCUS | Allan Manwaring comments on his runners below.
Race 2 | Ashby Bluto (Box 6) – first 520m start. He’s had one little look at Dapto and went pretty ordinary so not expecting too much. We’re waiting for the penny to drop but he hasn’t set the world on fire yet.
Race 6 | Elle Yeah (Box 3 and pictured below) - it’s a look ahead to the Megastar heats next week. We’re never scared to throw them in against good opposition, so she’ll be nominated for the Megastar assuming she gets through this OK. She beat Peace Keeper last start and she’s been in against the good ones all year. All her hopes in this race depend on how she steps. She can make a bit of a meal of it coming out at times so hopefully she jumps and is on speed early. If she can get around the first turn without interruption, she can run 29.7. If she is second through the pen [most likely behind Quantifiable], she’s a chance.
Elle Yeah with Elouise Manwaring ahead of the Southern Stars heats
My Margarita (Box 7) - rising five-year-old who just loves racing. There’s rarely anything wrong with him, he just goes out in the big paddock every day and still has the zest for racing. Any form student would say he’s no hope in this race but he’s still picking up cheques (five placings in his last seven starts).
Race 7 | Ashby Jazzy (Box 3) – just like her brother [Ashby Bluto], has had one box to box at dapto and got pretty lost. Her win at Nowra was in pretty slow time but she went around dogs and ducked inside dogs which was a good sign. Hoping she turns into a decent little bitch in time.
Race 9 | Berry Battler (Box 1) – just a consistent little dog. Not flush with ability but just racing really well (has claimed a cheque in his last eight starts) and he’ll be quite happy sitting up in the red.
Best Chance | Elle yeah, she's a quality little bitch and if she gets a touch of luck, she’ll be there or thereabouts.
