Race caller Dan Hibberd has narrowed Saturday night’s National Sprint Championship Final (515m) at Sandown Park down to four key winning chances – but there is one greyhound outside the field he believes could turn the race on its head.
With some of the country’s best sprinters converging on Sandown, Hibberd has identified Winsome Jet, Off The Chart, Storm Hustler and Wentworth Park track record holder Jungle Johnny as the leading contenders.
“The box draw has put some of the big guns down low with Off The Chart and Winsome Jet together, Storm Hustler drawn a bit sticky in the yellow and Jungle Johnny out in the seven,” Hibberd said.
“They are the four key hopes for mine.”
Jungle Johnny arrives in Victoria following some breathtaking performances at Wentworth Park and Hibberd believes box seven may not be the disadvantage it initially appears.
“On his Wentworth Park form, Jungle Johnny has been nothing short of breathtaking and if he brings that to Sandown, he will be extremely hard to beat,” he said.
“The seven box may not be the worst for him if he can get a decent run around the first turn.”
Victorian representative Storm Hustler earned his place with a determined victory over Wrongly Accused in the Victorian National Sprint Final and Hibberd expects the box five runner to again thrive in a competitive environment.
“He seems to relish the hustle and bustle of close quarter racing,” Hibberd said.
“He might need to absolutely fly out to clear some of the ruck early, but he certainly can.”
Hibberd is prepared to forgive Off The Chart’s performance in the Victorian Final after he missed the start, while an impressive Sandown trial has convinced him Winsome Jet can make his presence felt from box two.
“Winsome Jet’s trial last Thursday was super,” Hibberd said.
“If he doesn’t jump perfectly, it may not matter because he could slide across the back of Off The Chart and trail him through the bend. He is electric at the finish.”
That has Hibberd siding with Winsome Jet – although his tip comes with one major asterisk.
First reserve Wrongly Accused sits just one scratching away from gaining a start, and Hibberd believes the emerging Victorian star would be the greyhound to beat if he finds his way into the field.
“If Wrongly Accused gets into the field, he has to go on top,” he said.
“He was only inches away from leading the Victorian Final and just couldn’t get a clear path after that.
“It would be a hell of a final if he did get in.”
