Greyhounds: Rare afternoon meeting at Whanganui's Hatrick Raceway

A number of higher-graded chasers will be missing from Friday's meeting in Whanganui. Photo / NZME

It's a rare Friday afternoon meeting at Hatrick with today's first race scheduled to be dispatched from the 305m traps at 12.07pm.

A huge premier greyhound meeting hosted by the Christchurch club at Addington is the reason for the time slot swap.

Accordingly, a number of higher-graded Lisa Cole-prepared chasers are heading south to hunt down more Group race riches.

Staying at home is Big Time Harley (race 9) who, following an extended spell, endured a luckless return to racing last Friday after being badly checked rounding the first turn. He would have derived benefit from that outing.

Allegro Nixon secures the draw advantage via trap one for Cole. He has previously effectively used that desired draw and a post-podium finish can be built for him, despite his previous five misses over the 520m trip.

Kennelmates Sub Twenty Three and Bigtime Brody both ran minor placings in a C4 520m event last Friday. This afternoon's field lacks depth, therefore suggesting this pair of experienced greyhounds can snare a portion of the stake here.

It has been a heck of a long time since Cole hasn't had a runner in the Friday open class 305m sprint. That's the case in this afternoon's dash (race 5), with the kennel having no sprinters engaged.

Shannon trainer Deb Edlin has been enjoying recent success with her sprinter Zamah. She produced him to stylishly win Monday's Manawatū-hosted 410m open class dash in 23.52s. A winning double for the week looms for her charge from the six-trap today.

Foxton trainer Marcie Flipp will be rapt with the inside traps that two of her contenders have been allocated for this dash.

Zara Cheebee (one) and Eye Far (two) are both capable of making their presence felt from their kind draws.

Waterloo Pink makes her return into the open class sprinting ranks following her pace-making 17.71s C4 305m win last week. A competitive sprint by her can be expected for local conditioner Wendy Kite.

Cole has some serious Group 1 race contenders for this evening's feature Addington meeting. Big Time Kaylee is already a Group 1 520m winner at the venue and she spearheads the three Cole-trained finalists for the $45,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Oaks (race 10).

She gamely chased home the quickest 30.10s heat winner Tokyo Bird, who has secured race favouritism for her local conditioner Craig Roberts.

The Cole kennel holds Power Boom in very high regard and he has solid claims following his bold 30.33s track debut 520m heat win in what is a highly competitive looking field for the $30,000 Active Electrical Christchurch New Zealand St Leger final (race 9).