Top Thunderbolt Seed To Trial At Grafton
SERIES favourite Flash Jet will have a spin around Grafton on Sunday ahead of his date with the semi-finals of The Thunderbolt.
SERIES favourite Flash Jet will have a spin around Grafton on Sunday night ahead of his date with the semi-finals of The Thunderbolt (350m) on June 15.
The John Grief-trained flyer stamped his semi-final ticket with a sizzling heat display at Richmond on Wednesday night, posting 17.86, a time just a few lengths shy of his own 17.70 track record.
But while Flash Jet, winner at 15 of his 20 starts, is on track for a tilt at The Thunderbolt, Grief has decided against pushing ahead with grand campaigner and two-time Thunderbolt finalist Running Reds.
FIELDS AND FORM GRAFTON SUNDAY
A 31-time winner, the rising five-year-old was bundled out of the Richmond heats on Wednesday night, with Grief electing not to contest the Grafton qualifiers on Sunday night in a last ditch attempt to progress in the series.
"We won't push ahead with the old boy; we'll just keep him to Masters races now at home," Grief said.
"Flash Jet is booked in for an exhibition trial at Grafton on Sunday night now that he's qualified for the semi-finals.
"I'm not too worried about what he runs because he always improves a lot the second go at a track. I know I'm going into the series with the right dog to win it. We just need that luck."
Luck deserted Grief last year when Running Reds looked all set to charge to the front in The Thunderbolt before interference put paid to his chances at the first turn.
That followed a rather luckless run in 2023 also.
"Hopefully it's third year lucky," Grief added.
The final of The Ladbrokes Thunderbolt will be staged on Saturday June 21 where $40,000 awaits winning connections.
Latest News Articles
Greyhound Search
Trainer Search
Top Bookmakers