Need for speed

By Justin Robertson
PEARCEDALE-trained stayer So Seductive will put his sprint credentials on the line in tonight’s Group 3 Macro Meats Shootout at Sandown Park.
Kel Greenough’s emerging star and Sandhurst-trained sprinter Enry Walt will lead the local charge in the $25,000 winner-takes-all Shootout, which kick-starts a bumper November calendar at the Lightwood Road circuit.
So Seductive set a new track record over the 715m trip in her heat of the Group 2 Sir John Dillon Memorial last month, and backed it up to win last Thursday night’s final in style.
The stunning run saw her come from last place to claim her first feature race and stamp herself as an exciting stayer.
She was a dozen lengths from the lead on the first time past the post, before making her move down the back straight, weaving her way through the field to find the lead on turning for home.
That was her seventh win in eight starts over the half-mile, but a new challenge awaits tonight (4 November).
So Greenough was circumspect about his bitch’s chances in the elite four-dog field.
“These dogs she’s racing against are sprinting types, whereas she’s more of a staying type,” he said.
“So she’s gunna need luck getting a run through at the end of the race – but saying that, you have to be in it to win it.”
Eleven dogs were nominated for the Shootout, which was eventually trimmed to the final four, including Angela Langton’s Push the Paint and Darren Brown’s Cosmic Chief.
Sandhurst’s Gary Ennis is confident about his chances with Enry Walt.
“Hopefully he goes all right, (because) it’s a pretty hard field and they are all very good dogs,” he said.
“My dog is a sprinter, so it’s well suited to this race.”
Enry Walt has just come back from injury and recently finished second in the Group 1 Top Gun at The Meadows last month, so Ennis is hoping the dog can go one better tonight.
“There’s no real disadvantage seeing as there’s only four dogs in the race,” he said. “But Sandown is his best track and drawing the wide box too, he’s a massive chance.”
The final round of Solo Melbourne Cup preludes will also be run on the night, while Richmond star Jack Riewoldt will be on track in his ambassadorial role for the Superdogs carnival.
Next week’s racing will include the heats of the Melbourne Cup and Group 1 Bold Trease Carnival Cup, with the finals to be run on the following Thursday night, 18 November.