Classy Canya Zeroes In On Lucrative Launching Pad

THE heats of the Group 3 Launching Pad on March 14 can't come quickly enough for Jess Hopkins and her boom youngster Canya All Class after another scintillating display at Sandown Park.

Canya All Class reached the $534,250 Launching Pad's limit of six wins on Thursday night, romping to a Best Of Night 29.23sec victory.

It was the April '22 son of Shima Shine and Spritley Ebony's sixth win from eight starts and third from four appearances at Sandown, venue for the $150,000 to-the-winner Launching Pad (515m).

"That's why we didn't race him for the last couple of weeks," Jess Hopkins explained.

"I just kept him ticking over, but he needed the run last night. He was getting a bit antsy wanting to go to the races.

"He's an absolute demon! He's a bit of a terror.

"I'd say he's the fastest dog I've had. But it's hard to go past Panama Canal. We never got to see the best of him, so hopefully we get to see the best of this one."

At his previous start, Canya All Class clocked a blistering 29.56sec at The Meadows on the opening night of the Australian Cup Carnival.

It was the second fastest 525m time at the star-studded meeting, shaded by Hector Fawley's 29.54sec in an Australian Cup heat and quicker than Explicit's 29.63sec in the G1 Temlee.

That performance attracted the attention of slot holders for the Sandgroper, to be held at Cannington on April 18, however Hopkins put the potential superstar's long-term interests first.

"He's too young and dumb to go against those dogs!" said Hopkins, who also part-owns the powerhouse prodigy.

"He's still doing so much wrong.

"But I said if he's still sprinting in eight months, not to forget us for The Phoenix!

"You'd think he's going to improve, but I can't really say that with what he's running.

"I do think he'll go quicker at Sandown, if he steps, and he can step. I paused last night's race and his head was one of the first out, so he's there.

"When we got the (Launching Pad) slot we thought he might even have been up to 600 by now.

"His run-home times are the same as Alfie Moon (dual G3-winning stayer), so I always thought he'd get a trip. 

"After the Launching Pad, I've been thinking about stepping him up for the Sandown Cup, but we'll let him work it out."

Canya All Class isn't the only jet-propelled ‘Canya' youngster in Hopkins' boutique four-member Junction Village kennel.

She says there's nothing between her Launching Pad fancy and the currently-sidelined Canya Nitrate, a March '22 son of Million Dollar Chase winner Good Odds Harada and Optical.

All Class alright!!

Canya All Class is absolutely airborne and goes 29.23s! See you at the Launching Pad ???? pic.twitter.com/CPBFfTy3Hj

— Sandown Greyhounds (@sandowndogs) February 29, 2024

Canya Nitrate won four of his seven starts prior to chipping a sesamoid.

"Canya Nitrate ran 24.86sec at Ballarat at his second start in a race!" Jess said.

"I pre-trained Canya All Class and Canya Nitrate and there was only a half-length between them.

"But they're completely different dogs. Canya Nitrate has speed and Canya All Class is strong.

"I'll also have Canya Nitrate's brother Canya Inferno (3 from 7) in the Launching Pad. He's come down from Michael and Michelle Lill in NSW."

As of Friday morning, Sandown GRC advised that 45 of the 64 Launching Pad slots have been sold, leaving 19 available ahead of the cut-off date on Monday, March 11.