Eight heats from three different series will be run at the Maitland Greyhound Club meeting this afternoon.
The Maitland To City heats are the feature events closely followed by another three-part instalment called the Coalfield’s Winter Cup, while a pair of Blue Paws maidens will kick start the 10-race card.
The trio of Maitland To City heats look evenly poised across the 450 metre distance but Durbridge, trained by Mark Wilcox at Bringelly, appears to be the standout.
Of the 24 runners Durbridge, a two-year-old dark brindle dog, has recorded the best time over the 450m at the Maitland Showground track.
Durbridge, which will jump from box seven in the third and final heat (race seven), stopped the clock at 25.12 seconds on May 10, only to be beaten by track record holder Exclusive One.
Since then Durbridge has run at Bulli and won at Appin.
Each heat winner will receive $1100 and advance to the Wentworth Park final along with second place getters.
The final spots available will be decided by the two quickest greyhounds finishing in third position.
It will be the same
system for the Coaflields Winter Cup, but the
difference being a shorter 400m distance and a final held at Maitland next week.
Rumble Town is
coming off a win for Kurrajong trainer Norm Beecroft in the second heat (race five, number seven) and has one of the best records at Maitland from the 24 runners.
Rumble Town went 22.48 seconds last week and only Superior Dream (race nine, number six) in heat three has gone faster previously at the track with a time of 22.45s, which was achieved on October 20 last year.
The opening heat has a scratching with first reserve Teevee Ga Ga in for number eight Deb’s Nightmare.
The opening Blue Paws maiden heat also has a scratching with El Roy out and first reserve Camino Del Sol into box six.
In other scratching news, first reserve Suave Sticka will contest the 565m event after Rybendrook Drift was ruled out of box three and in the last Love The Lohan has left box three open for first reserve Regal Hero to have a run wearing the number nine rug.
Maitland Greyhound Club sponsorship and promotions manager Fred Robertson said Cawbourne Haze (race three, number five) was his bet of the day.
Racing at the Maitland Showgrounds starts at 3.54pm.
