Steve Fitch is philosophical that his four runners in Saturday night's semi-finals of the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park are out to beat each other. All four, Cumbria Jack, Eriza Sparkles, Cumbria Chrissy and Cumbria Benny, are more than capable of winning next week's rich and prestigious final.
Cumbria Jack shares favouritism for next week's final. But, Cumbria Chrissy and Eriza Sparkles clash in semi-final three, drawing alongside each other in the two and three respectively. And, Cumbria Jack and Cumbria Benny also clash in semi-final four, having drawn boxes six and eight.
As there is no guarding in the semi-finals of the Golden Easter Egg, and fields are assembled by strictly following a matrix based around times and placings from the heats the week earlier, it's sometimes the case where trainers qualify multiple greyhounds which then may clash in the semi-finals of the Egg.
"Yes, it's something we have to live with," said Steve.
Of his four semi-finalists, Fitch says Cumbria Benny is worst boxed in the eight.
Cumbria Benny
"He's the worst served by the box draw," he said. And, he would rather Group 1 star Eriza Sparkles was drawn further off the track than her three box.
"She is unbeaten off a wider draw at Wentworth Park," he said. Eriza Sparkles was ‘only' fourth to Gold Force in her Easter Egg heat last week beaten just three lengths in 29.52.
"Her average first split is the fastest of the series," said Fitch.
"She never runs two bad races in a row and I expect her to be very hard to beat."
Eriza Sparkles
He is confident Cumbria Chrissy, already the G2 Richmond Oaks winner and G1 Gold Bullion runner-up, is perfectly placed in the same semi-final.
"Chrissy is so well boxed," said Fitch.
"Her run in the heat last week was enormous."
The bitch finished third to Off The Chart in 29.48, beaten narrowly.
"She has run 29.50 getting beaten," said Fitch. "And, she uses an inside box so well as she showed when winning the Oaks at Richmond."
Cumbria Chrissy
Of his kennel superstar, Cumbria Jack, Fitch is fine with the fact he has drawn box six on Saturday night. Cumbria Jack, already a G1 winner and five times track record breaker, won his heat of the Easter Egg in 29.48.
"He's been shifting up the track early at Wentworth Park," said Fitch.
"And, he's making a thing of going around dogs at Wenty. The wide draw should let him wind up early and he's so strong.
"He's had his normal week of light preparation."
Fitch reported all four had been checked over and their bloods are perfect for the semi-finals.
Cumbria Jack
"I can't fault anything with any of them," he said.
He is already planning to contact Queensland training great Tony Brett about sending all four north for the up-coming G1 Ipswich Gold Cup (457m) on Q1 Lakeside late in May and early June. It is worth $150,000 to the winner.
"Benny is a very good one-turn dog and Eriza Sparkles has already won on the track in fast time, and of course Jack has gone super there as well," said Fitch.
