The Meadows will be the cynosure of all greyhound racing eyes on Saturday night as the best young sprinters in the land, headlined by potential superstars Koblenz and Aston Rupee, contest the heats of the G1 Maturity Classic (525m).

Koblenz (16 from 21 – 3 from 3 Trk/Dst 29.78sec PB) is chasing an amazing 12^th straight win in heat 2, where he’ll face another prodigious talent in Aston Fastnet (8 from 19).

Aston Rupee (9 from 17 – 1 from 1 Trk/Dst – 29.47sec PB), Aston Fastnet’s litter brother, will line up in heat 4.

Boom NSW chaser Jungle Deuce (13 from 20 – Wentworth Park 520m PB 29.31sec) will add enormous interest to the series at his Meadows debut, with travel no issue having won at G2 level in Brisbane last month.

Andrea Dailly’s star female duo, G1 Sapphire Crown winner Qwara Bale (16 from 29 – 3 from 3 Box 2) and Lala Kiwi (8 from 19) will face off in heat 5.

Another intriguing duel between kennelmates sees Jeff Britton’s track specialists Do It (5 from 11 Trk/Dst 29.68sec PB) and Mr. Fix It (8 from 15 Trk/Dst 29.75sec PB – 6 from 8 Box 4) matching motors.

The Meadows’ card also features two heats of the G3 Fireball over 725m, with G1 Sandown Cup victor Zipping Rambo (17 from 35 – 2 from 2 Box 7) the standout in heat one, while Hank The Hustler (16 wins) tussles with Five Star (9 from 29) in the second runoff.

Meanwhile, at Bendigo, evergreen Run Baba Run (23 from 123) is well-placed to add another ‘W’ to her resume.

Here’s an extensive analysis of today’s Must Watch Race, and be sure to scroll down further for ? The Watchdog’s $10 spend…

? MUST-WATCH RACE: KCR Pet Transport Maturity Classic Heat 2

ASTON FASTNET ? KOBLENZ ? MISS EZMAE

? The Meadows ? Race 5 ? 525m ⏱ 8:03pm

Form ? https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/5

The Watchdog says ?: Any one of the eight heats of the Group 1 Maturity Classic could have been selected, however this heat features three genuine jetliners and I am expecting them to rock the clock. KOBLENZ (5) has not been headed in his past nine starts and his race pattern brings back memories of the great El Galo, so with another clean getaway he can continue on his winning way. He is one of very few chasers to bust 5 seconds to the first marker at both Sandown Park and The Meadows and with a PB here of 29.78sec, he has proven that he can do it at both ends. This is clearly his toughest test to date as he takes on ASTON FASTNET (4) and NSW sensation MISS EZMAE (6). ‘Fastnet’ returned to the winners list with an electrifying 29.62sec win at Albion Park last week, so he comes into this in peak condition, however his box manners can let him down at times, so he will not want to give the top elect too much of a head start. ‘Ezmae’ is the interesting runner, she has only had the eight starts but her times around Bathurst, Dubbo and Wentworth Park are jaw dropping and she can really power to the line when in the clear. I think she would be better suited around Sandown Park rather than The Meadows, but she is far too good to dismiss. TRENDING ROOKIE (2) and XAVIEN BALE (8) are both tremendous talents who are racing with confidence, however they take on a big three tonight and will need a few things to go their way. Fingers cross the middle division can all step away cleanly and it could be a race for the ages.

Selections:  5 – 6 – 8 – 4

? THE WATCHDOG’S $10 INVESTMENT ?
? Saturday 17 July

? $3 Multi

First ?: Place – ARIZONA EYES
? The Meadows ? Race 1 ? Box 1 ? 525m ⏱ 6:37pm
TAB fixed odds: $1.65 Place
Form ? https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/1

Second ?: Place – KEEP IT BLACK
? The Meadows ? Race 8 ? Box 3 ? 525m ⏱ 8:58pm
TAB fixed odds: $1.95 Place
Form ? https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/8

Third ?: Bundle Bet – 2,3,4
? The Meadows ? Race 9 ? Boxes 2,3,4 ? 525m ⏱ 9:21pm
TAB fixed odds: $2.15 (any one of the three selections to win)
Form ? https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/9

The Watchdog says ? : ARIZONA EYES (1) is an absolute beast when at his best and from the inside draw he is expected to settle closer than normal and a top three finish looks likely. KEEP IT BLACK (3) is airborne at present and he has the speed to cross and assume control at the first bend. With the ability to go around the 29.80sec mark, he should finish in the money. Very keen on BLACK AVENGER (2) in Race 9 and he appears to be great value, however we have included powerful types TIME FOR PEACE (3) and GYPSY WYONG (4).

Multi price: $6.91

? $2 Place – MY FATHER’S SON
? The Meadows ? Race 2 ? Box 4 ? 725m ⏱ 6:57pm
TAB fixed odds: $4.40 Place (top two finish required)
Form ?  https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/2

The Watchdog says ? : He is one of my favourite greyhounds and I think if you backed him to run a place in every one of his starts, you would be returning a profit. He needs to finish in the top two tonight and I think the way the race should unfold; it is achievable at nice odds. ‘Rambo’ is expected to roll to the early lead and break them up in the middle stages, that should allow our selection to take advantage of some rails runs and he can go up a level when chasing down tearaway leaders.

? $3 Win – HANK THE HUSTLER
? The Meadows ? Race 3 ? Box 2 ? 725m ⏱ 7:20pm
TAB fixed odds: $2.60 Win
Form ?  https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/3

The Watchdog says ? : ‘Hank’ has turned in some brilliant performances of late and I have always believed that he is a better stayer when he can get a nice sit in the middle stages. With RUN LIKE JESS (1) and WHATEVER I SAY (3) expected to set a cracking pace, he should be able to settle in third spot, just off the pace and he will be smoking the pipe for most of the journey. He has proven that he can power to the line over this distance range when he gets a sit in his races, and he looks to be a great investment tonight.

? $2 Quaddie – 13.33% (15 combinations)
? The Meadows ? Races 5 – 8 ⏱ 8:03pm               ***includes Must Watch Race***
Form ?  https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/666541473/race/5

?: 5
? ?: 1,2,4,7,8
? ? ?: 2
? ? ? ?: 3,4,5

The Watchdog says ? : KOBLENZ (5) is former superstar El Galo reincarnated, and I believe this series will be his first steppingstone on the way to greatness. JUNGLE DEUCE (3) is a huge risk in the second leg, so we have gone wide in the hope to secure some value. ASTON RUPEE (2) really should be winning the third leg, whilst QUARA BALE (2) appears poorly drawn in the last leg, so I am hoping KEEP IT BLACK (3) can bring LALA KIWI (4) and MEPUNGA KNIGHT (5) into the race.

? RECENT $10 INVESTMENTS ?
Friday 16 July: $20.60 (+106%)
Thursday 15 July: $15.30 (+53%)
Wednesday 14 July: $9.40 (-6%)
Tuesday 13 July: $19.74 (+97%)
Monday 12 July: $20.30 (+103%)
Sunday 11 July: $10.90 (+9%)
Saturday 10 July: $6 (-40%)

Past 7 days: $102.24 for $70 invested (+46%)

Past 14 days: $197.37 for $140 invested (+41%)

Past 28 days: $320.07 for $280 invested (+14%)

? MONTH x MONTH RECORD

June 2021: $324.38 for $300 (+8%)

NOTE: June was the first full-month of the new-look Daily Mail, in which The Watchdog has a $10 daily spend.

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