Evans Happy With Golden Sands Underdog Tag

BOOKIES have Scanlon the $41 rank outsider for Thursday night's Box One Photography sponsored Group 3 Golden Sands Final (600m) at Albion Park.

But trainer Peter Evans is more than happy with the underdog tag again this week after the son of Barcia Bale was grabbed in the final few strides of his heat at monster odds of $71. 

"I wasn't expecting much at all; he's a good beginner and gives himself a chance," said Evans of last week's heroic second.

"He got away first in the heats and held the rest up and I'm hoping for a repeat in the final.

"He's shown he can lead from any box over the 600 metres. The five certainly isn't ideal but if he can get to the front again, he makes his own luck off the corner start."

With $40,000 awaiting winning connections, Thursday night's final promises to be a competitive affair, with a host of well-credentialed chasers taking their place in the group 3 feature.

"Velocity Bettina stands out as the winner to me but so much can happen at that first corner," Evans said.

"And Defy, who beat us last week, should be a big improver after checking off heals about four times last week, all in all it's a very even contest."

2020 is the first year the race is named the Golden Sands as part of the Summer Carnival, but as Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club CEO Luke Gatehouse explains, the race is steeped in tradition.

"The race was originally called the Queensland Cup and was run at Beenleigh," Gatehouse said.

"We were keen to keep the race going as the only group six hundred metre race in Queensland and as you can see from the field it's had continued support from trainers.

"The Queensland Cup name has gone to the Group 1 710 metre race during the Winter Carnival and will live on there.

"Michael McInally and his team at Box One Photography are on track with us at every meet and stepped up to sponsor this race last year and it's fantastic to see them putting their hard earned back into the industry."

Scanlon – just two weeks shy of his third birthday – ran his first six hundred just two months ago, the rise in distance bringing out a new found bravado in the dog.

"He hasn't had many six hundreds and is taking natural improvement from every run … he's run 35.21 finishing second over the trip which probably doesn't win him the race but with his pattern gives him a chance," Evans said.

"I put him over the six hundred after about fifteen starts, he was just getting knocked around too much over the 520 and the Barcia Bale-Killara litter he's out of are all very strong, so I thought why not."

Evans is determined to make Scanlon a bonafide six hundred metre dog and believes the sky's the limit if he can finish his races the way he starts them.

"I'm committed to the six hundred metres with him for the moment, he's still got plenty to prove and I'm confident he'll keep getting better with more racing," he said.

"I'd love to get him to 710 metres eventually, but he just doesn't have the strength in his legs yet, he's only had the twenty-four starts, so hopefully with a bit of time he might run it out."

The Golden Sands marks the end of a revamped summer carnival and Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club CEO Luke Gatehouse said the club was rapt with the new setup.

"It's a fantastic night to round out our carnival to showcase the best six hundred metre dogs from near and far, the Country Cup to give regional trainers a shot at a feature race and finally the Short Course Final. It's one of the most unique cards of the year," Gatehouse added.