A 12-race program – with starts at 297m, 520m and 600m - kicks off at 7:10pm on Thursday, September 7 at Dapto. The highlight of the evening will be the running of the Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar final.
Here’s our preview of the card.
LADBROKES BEST BET (courtesy of The Hound)
R5 - #1 Palawa Queen | Andy Lord
Has her paw on the till with four minor placings in her last five starts and is boxed to break through at Dapto on Thursday night.
Is yet to win at Dapto but does have three minor placing from her four goes on the South Coast, with times of 34.68 and 34.78 looking pretty competitive in this field.
Her last win was over 720m at Wentworth Park on July 5, but she has gone under by 0.13, 0.75, and 1 length on three occasions since, so with better luck, may have more than just three wins in 23 career starts.
Her 14 placings prove she will run you an honest race though and she finally gets Box 1 again (for just the second time in her career), so watch for her to bounce to the front and hopefully lead all the way.
“I think Palawa Queen can lead and will be our best chances in the race, so if I was a punter, I’d be backing her. In saying that, Spread The Load has more ability, but she is looking for 700 and the 600 doesn’t suit as much. She’d find trouble in a two-dog race to be honest. If we trialled the pair of them solo, Spread The Load would win by 10 lengths but she can find bad luck. She came home in 11.30 odd over the 520m at Wenty Park, not many dogs can do that. Palawa Queen is the safer option but I’ll be disappointed if Spread The Load doesn’t run well,” Andy Lord said.
Palawa Queen (#4) is a litter sister to Group 1 winner Palawa King
NEXT BEST BET
R8 - #7 Bandit Jane | Andy Lord
She’s the track record holder over the Dapto 600m and the only dog in history to crack 34 seconds for the trip so fair to say she loves the place.
The daughter of Fernando Bale has had 10 starts at the circuit for five wins and a couple of minor placings but it’s the Box 7 record that really jumps off the page with all six starts ending in victories.
Broke a decent run of outs last start at the track on August 17 when leading all the way for a 3.25 length win over the smart Nangar Rocket and the time of 34.28 would win most NG events around Dapto.
Biggest danger is probably the kennelmate, Cawbourne Magic, who will jump from Box 3 but if Bandit Jane can jump the front she will be hard to get past.
“Bandit Jane loves Dapto. She obviously goes from Box 1 to 7 which changes things but I don’t see the wider draw as a problem. If she can find the lead early she’ll be hard to beat but Cawbourne Magic loves Dapto too so it’s hard to split them. Cawbourne Magic is going pretty well despite his form on paper and I really think he should have beaten Bandit Jane lasty start but he got intro trouble early. I think he’s on the comeback that dog and it’s just a matter of time before we see the old Cawbourne Magic so watch out for him as well,” Andy Lord said.
Victorian Umberto and the Nowra Hill-based Mortified are currently joint favourites for the Group 1 Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar final to be run on Thursday night at the famous South Coast circuit.
The winner will take home $75,000 and first three across the line will qualify for the semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase on October 6 at Wentworth Park.
R6 Flash As Joe (Box 1) – I am new in this game and still learning so when I took him to Wentworth Park back In July, he wasn’t quite ready. He has had no luck in three runs since at Dapto and has been knocked around a few times. But I think he’s strong and ready to go and will run a good race on Thursday. I have had a bet with my son, he doesn’t think he can win but I am confident.
R10 Calamity Joe (Box 6) – I think he will win by six lengths...well, I might just be hopeful but I think he will run really well. He is a very cheeky dog. When you walk him on the lead he is very excited and when I let him out to wee in the morning, he just goes whoosh. He is ready to run a big race.
Best Chance | Flash As Joe is the better chance because his legs are getting stronger and stronger. He was like yoghurt when I got him but now his legs are full of muscle, like a rock.
Flash As Joe has won five of his 19 starts for Jihad Estephan
