Could Victorians Pinch Paws and Plate?

Originally known as the NSW St Leger, the Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder is one of the most prestigious events on the NSW racing calendar.

Run for the first time in 1957 and won by Idle Sign, the race had a name change in 2001 and at the same time attained Group 1 status.

Like so many of the features on the calendar it has been won by some of the greats of the sport like Black Top, Glider’s Son, Winifred Bale and She’s A Pearl.

Here’s our runner-by-runner preview of Saturday’s $75,000 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder final:

The son of Blue Sky Riot (a sister to Million Dollar Chase winner Mystic Riot) ran right up to his trial performance in the heats (29.51) and now gets the inside draw to make him the pre-race favourite for the big one. It’s been some rise to an open Group 1 final in just 20 starts and after claiming the Warnambool 460m track record two back, he’s certainly in form. His record from the red is exemplary so the only query is where he lands with pace in #2 and #4. If he holds the rail and ends up tucked in behind likely leader Idolize, you’ll want to be on him down the back straight.

A winner of four straight, Larry is flying and is boxed to make a real fist of his third feature final in the last three months. He’ll be hoping to improve on his sixth in the Christmas Gift and eight in the Goulburn Cup deciders but his steady improvement in each of his last three runs at Wenty Park (times of 29.66, 29.60 and 29.53) suggests he’s cherry ripe for Saturday night. The way he speared across from the wide draw in the heats was impressive, before blowing them apart up the back. It’d take a brave punter to leave him out of the numbers.

The roughie of the field deserves his spot after a massive PB last week in the heats but he will need all kinds of luck to take this out. Andrew Rowe makes his first Group 1 final as a trainer and he’s the sort of guy who will just be happy to be there, but imagine if the dog he bred, reared and raised got up. The statistics say he can’t win. No victories at Wenty Park in nine attempts, he draws very awkwardly with all sorts of speed around him, and he’s the youngest greyhound in the field. Too much against him but great to have a fairy-tale story in the field.

Can the super mum continue her brilliant run in NSW? What she has achieved up here is remarkable. Eight starts at Wenty Park for six wins and a minor, with victory in the Group 1 National Futurity two years ago kickstarting the hot run. Her first section in the heats of 5.29 (she also went 5.31 in the MDC Consolation last October) was scintillating and she went on to run a PB of 29.52 at nearly four years of age. Box 4 should really suit (four wins and five minors in 10 starts in bluee) but she needs to lead to win.

Jason Magri seemed pretty relieved when this guy made it through his heat and fair enough as well. A spider bite cost him a spot in the Gosford Gold Cup final (Box 1 as well) after qualifying fastest but winning this Group 1 final would certainly ease the pain. The squeeze box might normally be too hard to overcome but with speedy beginner Idolize drawn underneath him, he could get a great drag into the race. If he can sit outside her through the first bend, his best is certainly good enough and he has more experience (24 starts) and success (10 wins) at Wenty than any other finalist.

A training change from the Ulrick kennel to the hands of Jay Opetaia hasn’t slowed this fella down and it’s nice to see a graduate from last year’s National Derby (third behind Victa Damian)make the step up to the open grade Paws Of Thunder decider. The heat run behind Idolize was fantastic in 29.58 and he did it after being pretty slow away for his standards (5.58 first section in the heats compared to his PB of 5.38). Box 6 cruels his hopes, especially with My Hepburn drawn outside, but he should be charging home.

She would be a popular winner after we saw 17-year-old handler Tahnee Barnett-Murray’s emotional interview following the heats. Trainers Sue Smith and John Miles have her airborne at the moment with a run of top three finishes extending all the way back to October 7 (13 straight races). Included in that streak were third-placings in the G2 Gosford Gold Cup and G3 Christmas Gift and she has the early speed to be neck and neck with Idolize at the first mark. She needs to clear them to win and I’m not sure she can do that from Box 7.

Lightly raced but full of potential and promise. Injuries have curtailed his career so far but there’s no doubting his ability when fit and able. A track and trip PB of 29.47 jumps off the page and the way he ran last week (29.57 in his first 520m in six months) indicates further improvement could be ahead of him. Box 8 in a race of this calibre and with this much speed drawn inside him isn’t good but he could be another Magri runner that follows a speedster (My Hepburn) across and into the race. 

4. Idolize

The Group 1 Summer Distance Plate is the staying event on the Paws Of Thunder card each year, and it regularly attracts a quality field from around the country.

The famous list of winners includes Dyna Willow, Space Star, No Donuts, Fanta Bale, Stanley Road and Mepunga Ruby.

Here’s our runner-by-runner preview of Saturday’s $40,000 Summer Distance Plate final:

Had the staying world at her paws five months ago and looked near unbeatable at stages in 2023 but something doesn’t seem quite right with her at the moment. Defeated by a combined total of nearly 43 lengths in her last three starts, Zipping Vanessa has lacked the same early pace that helped her to Sydney Cup and NSW National Distance wins in the back half of last year, but some ‘Minnie Magic’ may be able to turn the tide. Box 1 could help drag her out and her record from the red and at Wenty is impossible to knock.

Ran fifth in the prelude last week in her first go over the staying trip, and even with natural improvement, beating this small but elite field looks a big ask. Youngest greyhound in the Summer Distance Plate and only celebrates her second birthday on race day, she’d need to find a dozen lengths to win this race. 

The greyhound with the most upside in the final field should be better for his first run over 720m but he did look a little bit lost at times during the Prelude. Finished 11 lengths off the winner (Zoha Bale) and the time of 42.67 wasn’t anything to write home about. Always looked like he needed more ground when going over the sprint trip but has this calibre of staying contest come around too quickly for him? Small field help and should be the biggest improver.

Has either been in and around the best staying races for three months now and managed to pick off the Christmas Cheer in a fitting finale to 2023. Started favourite last week and finished the race off well, but diving left out of the boxes and into contact appeared to take a bit out of her and put her on the back foot. Now jumps from Box 4 and with One Hot Bandit typically slow to go and a vacant box outside her, she should appreciate the extra running room. Really honest greyhound but his best isn’t as good as others in this race at the moment.

Began like a bullet out of a gun last week and once he was high balling out in front, he looked like the Orlando of old. He got tired late in the piece and was a sitting duck for Zoha Bale, but he still finished 2.25 lengths ahead of third in his first 720m for seven months. Off that effort and knowing he is a G1 winner at the track and trip, he looks a great bet in a field where most of the runners are either out of form or unproven at the distance.

He is the dog with the best exposed and current form at the trip with five of his last seven starts since November 11 coming over 715m or more (two wins). Got a perfect run in the Prelude victory last Saturday after jumping well and landing right on the hammer of Zipping Orlando, proving too good in the latter stages. That was his first win at Wenty Park and the way he finished off the race suggest he’s fit as a fiddle right now. Wouldn’t be making the long trip up from Melbourne if the Delbridge kennel didn’t think he could win.