Club officials lured by runaway success

Wairarapa Greyhound Racing Club officials are determined to make every post a winner at the last of their TAB meetings for the current season at Solway Showgrounds in Masterton on Wednesday, February 27.
Delighted by the success of the three race days held at Solway over the Christmas-New Year period they are intent on adding further credibility to their push for more dates in the 2008-09 season by again attracting a big crowd and producing impressive betting returns, both on and off course.
"The case for more meetings is already a strong one but we aim to make it even stronger," vice president Mark Beeson said today. "We believe we deserve a better deal and we're determined to get it."
Beeson said Solway was now the sole grass track racing venue in the country and that in itself was seen as a huge plus by the Wairarapa club."The proliferation of sand tracks has created a racing environment which has become somewhat repetitive and monotonous and we are the only club which provides a viable alternative," he said.
Highlight of the February 27 meeting, which will start mid-afternoon and involve 10 races run over a three-hour period, will be the running of the Wairarapa Cup, won last year by one of the country's best middle distance exponents in Thrilling Guy,
trained at Tirau by Karen Walsh.
It is expected to attract a quality field, especially with the added incentive of a free service to former Greyhound of the Year Willy What going to the winner.
Another free service up for grabs will be to former top stayer Skipper Rip and this will go to the winner of the Distance Feature to be run over the extreme journey of 730m.
A hurdles event will also be carded and favourite there is sure to be current Greyhound Hurdler of the Year, Aranui Flash, who won the New Zealand Championship Hurdles at Solway earlier this month. His main danger is likely to be kennel-mate Aranui Speedy , who actually beat "the Flash" two starts ago. They are both trained at Woodville by Carol Morris, whose team inevitably are in the spotlight at Solway meetings.