Whanganui greyhounds: Bigtime Rod may hold key to outcome of Friday's Group 1 race

The extreme depth of the Lisa Cole kennels can be measured by the high-flying training establishment providing the entire field for this evening's race 9 open class 520m event.

That depth is further illustrated by Cole having amazingly qualified the entire field who contested last night's Group 1 $45,000 New Zealand Oaks 520m final at the Addington Raceway.

It was an outstanding training feat that attracted headlines in the Australian racing media. Six of the greyhounds involved were bred, reared and educated at the Palmerston North based kennels.

The same breeding scenario applies to this evening's main 520m race. Included in the field are five greyhounds who will be completing their final preparations prior to heading north to Cambridge to contest next Thursday's New Zealand Derby heats over 457m.

The Group 1 blue-ribbon race is a race that has been won by Cole-mentored greyhounds for the past three years.

However, it is one of the "older" greyhounds who potentially holds the key to the outcome of this evening's race.

Bigtime Rod has been in solid Hatrick 520m form over the past two Fridays, having led his rivals throughout. Drawing the ace-trap here says he can again make his presence felt. It would also pay to overlook his traffic-impeded Tuesday Manawatū 457m miss.

The five NZ Derby heat prospects are all capable of featuring. Big Time Anton and Big Time Harley have drawn favourably, while the stake earning claims held by the other two, Big Time Seth and Big Time Kobe cannot be lightly dismissed.

There are two open class 305m sprints on the card. The first of them (race 5) features the return to Hatrick sprinting by the Cole-prepared 2019/20 NZ Sprinter of the Year Trojan Hoarse.

His clash with his in-form kennelmates Big Time Fairy and Big Time Jonnie is expected to be a cracker.

The other open class 305m dash (race 8) has a much more even look to it. Allegro Will has drawn poorly in the five-trap for Cole; however, he is smart enough to overcome that disadvantage.

Big Time Chance is presented with sound swooping claims from his eight-trap draw, while the trap-two drawn Big Time Ziggy is a much better sprinter than her current form indicates.

Holding upset claims from his kind trap-one draw is the locally Brian Marsh-prepared Hip Hop Rapper. His recent form has been affected by wide draws.