Rivals Not Conceding Match Race Challenge

ALL Stars rivals David Geall and Jamie Ennis have not totally conceded Thursday night's TAB Match Race Challenge to superstar Wow She's Fast but admit to the task facing their hopefuls Stout Monelli and Amron Boy.

Jamie joked that he and wife, trainer Brooke, were disappointed to be in a two-dog match race and still could not draw the “red” with Amron Boy which is desperate for the rails.

FIELDS AND FORM ANGLE PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

“Unless he pings and heads Victa Grosso quickly, he could spend the first 100 metres trying to get onto the rails and that is going to take a lot from his overall time,” said Ennis.

“Box draws have certainly beaten this dog in his career to date.”

STOUT MONELLI continued his strong recent form with a dominant front-running display at @MelbourneGreys.#GreyhoundRacing pic.twitter.com/Hx830HJwhY

— WatchDog Racing (@WatchDogRacing) September 7, 2022

Geall heads to Angle Park with Adelaide-owned Stout Monelli which takes on Fly For Trix and has come up with the inside draw.

“He knows the track and since (part-owner and former trainer) Tim Aloisi sent him to us back in June he has won eight races,” said Geall.

“He's a fantastic dog.”

But Geall, who also heads to Angle Park with kennelmates Fernando Mick and Hill Top Jack on trial for an Adelaide Cup campaign, says Stout Monelli will have to prove himself worthy of an Adelaide Cup tilt.

“It will all depend on his first couple of sections in the Match Race,” said Geall.

“He will have to prove to us he has the early pace to put himself into a series like the Adelaide Cup.

“But, you must also remember he has won at Angle Park in 30.15, a very fast run.”

Stout Monelli has won 35 of his 64 starts and has become best known of late as a middle distance star which can stretch to 700m with success if tested.

“I would like to compliment his first trainer, David Hobby, with making Stout Monelli into a first class race dog,” said Geall.

“He started his racing career wearing blinkers and has raced all the time with them, even when sold to Tim and his partners in South Australia.

“When I got him to train, he came to Victoria with the blinkers and I took them off after his first race for me.

“It was a gamble I was happy to take and he has never looked back. It is a tribute to how Dave Hobby has turned him into such a fine race dog.

“And, he is a wonderful chaser.”

Fernando Mick and Hill Top Jack will run in graded races on Match Race night.

“They have not trialled at Angle Park and I find with this breed that they do not need to trial on a track before showing their best,” he said.

Amron Boy is a genuine rocket ?

29.599 at just his fifth start! What a Meadows debut! pic.twitter.com/w6hOgCeRcL

— Melbourne Greyhounds – The Meadows (@MelbourneGreys) March 26, 2022

Jamie Ennis admits to being one of the biggest fans of superstar Wow She's Fast despite her looming as the one to beat in the Match Race series and then the Adelaide Cup.

Ennis trained the superstar's sire My Bro Fabio during his decorated career.

“It is hard to compare dogs of different eras,” he said. “But she has to be the best I've seen for the past two or three years.

“And, credit to Jacquie and Kel Greenough for handling her career as well as they have.”

Ennis is confident Amron Boy has a Group 1 in him but needs better box draws and more luck in his races.

“There is no denying his pace and he trialled 29.50 around both Albion Park and Wenty at his first look on those tracks,” he said.

All matches come out of boxes one and three:

They are:

Stout Monelli (All Stars – Vic) v Fly For Trix (SA)

Just A Sort (All Stars – QLD) v Giant's Flash (SA)

Victa Grosso (SA) v Amron Boy (All Stars – Vic)

Wow She's Fast (All Stars – Vic) v Mallee Magic (SA)

Greyhounds were rated:

Sth Australia:

Mallee Magic

Victa Grosso

Fly For Trix

Giant's Flash

Rushes Raw

All Stars:

Wow She's Fast

Amron Boy

Stout Monelli

Just A Sort

Dynamic Prince

***************************************

The grader rated the four greyhounds from SA and the four from the Allstars.

The head-to-head matches have been decided by the two No 1 rated greyhounds competing against each other and so on.

Prizemoney for each individual match reflects the seeding of greyhounds from 1 to 4, with the No 1 rated greyhounds racing for the most.

Prizemoney for each match will be range between $4750 and $4000 with unplaced $500.

Overall TAB Match Race Challenge winner (based on overall times) will be $7500, second $2500, third $1000.

The winner of the Challenge will be guaranteed a spot into the Group 1 $100,000-to-the-winner Adelaide Cup final (October 7).