Can Postman Deliver National Breakthrough?

IT would be ironic if it takes a New Zealand import to break champion trainer Jason Thompson's National Championship hoodoo.

A National title – either Sprint or Distance – is missing from Thompson's stellar resume, but superstar ex-Kiwi Postman Pat is poised to correct that anomaly.

Since relocating to Australia in late March (meeting the Nationals criteria), Postman Pat has taken almost all before him, winning nine of his ten starts, his only defeat coming when runner-up in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup.

FIELDS AND FORM THE MEADOWS SATURDAY

Since returning from his Queensland campaign, the son of Jason Thompson's dual G1 winner Hooked On Scotch and Birdie Tee has gone to another level, setting Sandown Park and The Meadows alight in consecutive weeks.

He clocked 29.06sec at Sandown, before posting 29.60sec on debut at The Meadows last Saturday night at $1.10, his 19th win from 24 starts.

Postman Pat returns to The Meadows on Saturday night, where he's the major talking point ahead of the Victorian heats of the National Sprint Championship – races 5, 6 and 7.

Drawn in box seven in the third run-off (race 7 – 8.38pm), Postman Pat dominates Sportsbet's market at $1.65, with rails runner Afire ($5) and country cups queen Kelsey Bale (box 4 – $6) the only rivals at single figures.

"His nine wins in Australia have all been Best Of Night runs," Thompson said.

"He's drawn great. Middle to wide is where he wants to be, so he's suited out there.

?? 29.603 seconds ??

POSTMAN PAT parcelled up his seventh win from seven Victorian starts in imperious fashion at @MelbourneGreys.

POSTMAN PAT was three lengths off the 525-metre track record in his 19th overall win from 24 starts.#GreyhoundRacing #PremierRacing pic.twitter.com/hwLZ8dxb46

— WatchDog Racing (@WatchDogRacing) July 29, 2023

"With the dogs drawn on his inside and outside he should get a very clear run. He just needs a clear run in the first 20 or 30 metres and then he puts the foot down."

Thompson also has key chances in the first two heats.

Umberto (box 7) is chasing a fourth straight win in the opening qualifier, where's he's $11, with superstar Amron Boy (box 1) $1.70 favourite, while Transponder (box 2) is the $4 second elect in heat two behind Baby Jaycee (box 5 – $3.70).

"Obviously Postman Pat is my best chance, but the other two are both very good dogs," Thompson said.

"Umberto probably can't beat Amron Boy, but if he goes to the front, he'll lead for a long way. He's perfectly suited out wide too.

"Transponder is better suited in the middle, so box two isn't great for him, but he's going really well."

While Thompson hasn't yet crossed a National crown off his feature race ‘to do' list, it's fair to say the Pearcedale powerhouse isn't losing any sleep over it.

"It's not really a race I warm to and to be honest, if the final wasn't being held in Victoria the dogs wouldn't be in it," Thompson said.

"The other benefit of running is that if they make the National Grand Final and finish in the first four they go straight through to the semi-finals of the Million Dollar Chase."

Baby Jaycee only has to qualify for the Victorian Sprint Final to secure a berth in the National Grand Final as the ‘wild card', the highest-ranked Greyhound Clubs Australia (GCA) greyhound as of July 31.

The ‘wild card' is granted to the highest rated greyhound to qualify for, but not win its State Final, with another Vic in Kelsey Bale second in line.

The G1 National Sprint and Distance Championships, both carrying a winner's purse of $85,000, will be staged at The Meadows on Saturday, August 26.