With the semi-finals of the $100,000 Ladbrokes Country Classic set to be drawn on Tuesday, here’s who we think the top seven chances are...
1) Jungle Johnny
Yet to put a paw wrong in his pursuit of the biggest payday of his career. Jungle Johnny has won five straight races and seven of his last eight, with his only miss this year coming in the Group 1 National Derby decider where he was a runner-up to Paw Oswald. He didn’t get things his own way in his heat victory at The Gardens but he still powered away to win by more than 10 lengths and justify his spot atop this power rankings list. Heading to Dubbo is the next challenge but he did have a look at the track two weeks ago and performed well according to connections. If I had to be picky, all I’d question is his experience against some hard-nosed race dogs given he’s one of the youngest dogs in the series and only had 15 race starts. Getting pretty skinny in price but he is the dog to beat.
What a chaser she’s been. A Group 1 winner with 28 victories and nearly $300,000 in prizemoney to her name, she’s the Finn kennels number one hope in the series and one of the most reliable commodities at box rise on this list. The bend start at Dubbo might not suit her wide racing style, but of the fancies, she’s one that can make her own luck out on the arm. In the last four months alone, she’s won the Gosford Cup and run second in both the Summer Six Hundred and Paul Wheeler. She trialled 35.28 on Saturday night at Dawson Park in what was a much-needed hit out after last racing there in the heats of the 2024 Brother Fox. Rarely runs a bad race and comes through the hot Gosford heat with Late Night News and Zipping Chaplin. Nice price considering a few above her in the market look likely to be scratched from the semis.
Ladbrokes Price - $12
Gets Late Early (L) has been a star of NSW chasing since winning the Group 1 National Futurity in 2024
3) Zipping Chaplin
He’s a Summer Six Hundred winner already this year but he has also run third in both the Group 1 Paul Wheeler and Group 3 Richmond Derby over 520m in the last four months, so what’s his best distance? Throw in the fact he clocked a 29.25 PB at Wenty Park in January and I lean to the sprint trips, but he isn’t exactly bulletproof out of the boxes. The kennel won the inaugural edition of this race with Zipping Kygrios nack in 2022 and they love to target it given the owners Central West roots. Chaplin has had several goes over the middle-distance this year and Dubbo isn’t the toughest run so he’ll be thereabouts with clear passage. Trialled 35.20 on Saturday night, the quickest of the Finn/Barnes trio.
Is probably higher on the list than many would have him but I can’t ignore the combination of early speed and a good trial performance. Steve Fitch sent him around at Dubbo in 34.98 after the last on Saturday night and for a first look, that’s good going. He hasn’t had the best luck since bursting on the scene with a pair of 29.6 runs at Dapto back in October, 2023, but he is a Group 1 National Derby finalist and looks to finally be back to somewhere near his best after a length six-month layoff in the back half of last year. 600m is the query, as we saw in the heats at Nowra on March 8 when he was run down by Binalong Time, but I think Dubbo will suit and he can fly early so if he’s given a good box, he could lead for a long way.
Has been a revelation in the last three months for Caroline Hughes with wins in the Christmas Cheer (Group 3) and Summer Distance Plate (Group 2) at Wentworth Park, as well as a placing in the Group 1 Gold Cup at Albion Park. He also ran fourth in the recent Fanta Bale in Victoria and then returned to NSW to claim the Gosford heat of the Country Classic over the aforementioned Gets Late Early and Zipping Chaplin. Only missed the frame once in his last 10 starts and even though 600m at Dubbo won’t be his ideal track or trip, he’s a greyhound still firmly on the rise and should be flashing home late on Saturday.
It’s one race the all-conquering Lord kennel is yet to win and I think this guy is their number one seed going into Saturday night. He showcased his immense talent late in 2024 when he produced a 29.39 effort over the Wenty Park 520m in just his fifth race start, but connections always had middle distance racing in mind for him. He ran second in the Group 3 Dapto Middle Distance championship in October behind Might Have Been, with that dog breaking the track record and since qualifying for the Galaxy final in Perth this weekend. Ayden’s Warrior has won his last four, including the Dapto heat of the series, and he looks cherry ripe for a bold showing in the semi-finals.
Has to be included due to his super form over the past six months and ability to do his best work out in front. He went berserk in the Bidgee Cup final at Wagga Wagga back in November to smash the track record on route to a 3.75 length win. He then went back to Victoria and ran fifth in the Group 1 Silver Chief final, fifth in the Australia Day Sprint behind Flying Zulu, and third in the recent Group 1 Rookie Rebel over 600m at The Meadows. He’s trained by some of the best in the business in Sam and Correy Grenfell and owned by Brendan Wheeler, which tells you a bit about his quality. Fended off the kennelmate, Paw Quinby, in the Temora heat to grip on for a tough win which will hold him in great stead for an easier (track) assignment at Dubbo. Great early and could produce a boilover with a couple of good draws.
The semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Country Classic will be run on Saturday night, with the top two from each race qualifying for the March 22 grand final at Dubbo.
