KEY POINTS:
Aussie Opawa justified one of the biggest gambles of the greyhound season to win the $60,000 Oxyshot Shootout at Manukau last night.
The Canterbury greyhound was stepping well up in grade in the winner-take-all event, having raced just 10 times before for nine wins.
Which meant his selection in the elite four-dog field alone was a gamble by his connections and the host club.
But what he lacked in experience he made up for in brilliance, jumping second before crushing his opponents with a back straight surge.
That saw him well clear on the home bend as he carried favourite punters home over Scotexcited, with the winner's kennelmate Winsome Blitz third.
So dominant was the performance Aussie Opawa must now rate as one of the most exciting greyhounds produced in New Zealand in recent seasons.
"He is good all right and we were feeling confident after his trial last week," said co-trainer Dave Fahey.
Aussie Opawa is now likely to head to the $100,000 New Zealand Cup in Christchurch next month, a race for which he will be the early favourite.
