Emma Pritchard

More than 70 greyhounds jumped from the boxes during the Grafton Greyhound Racing Club’s recent race meeting on April 2, with several prominent trainers hoping to qualify their four-legged charges for the upcoming George’s Tree Services Easter Maiden Final over 450m to be run this weekend.

Two quality fields of greyhounds including a number of first starters headed out onto the track for Races 1 and 2 on the program, the Georges Tree Services Easter Maiden Heats, with the first four across the line in both 450m events going through to the final on April 9.

Trained at Coutts Crossing by Richard Godwin, Touch Base was the first to qualify after winning Heat 1 following an impressive front running display.

A black dog by reputable sire Fernando Bale, Touch Base began brilliantly from box four and charged to the line to win by a length and a half at odds of 10/1.

Race favourite Kooringa Rafael finished second, just ahead of Brindle Blaster and Rainbow Pride.

It was a more favourable result for punters following the running of Heat 2, with smart bitch Mean Girl, trained at Yorklea by Mathew Reid, holding on to defeat another well-tried runner Social Strategy.

Skip The Cue, trained by Grafton Greyhound Racing Club President John Corrigan finished third with Masani Girl back in fourth.

Both winners of the heats ran home in a time of 25.69 seconds.

The box draw for the George’s Tree Services Easter Maiden Final, featuring Touch Base, Kooringa Rafael, Brindle Blaster, Rainbow Pride, Mean Girl, Social Strategy, Skip The Cue, and Masani Girl, will be held on April 6.

Kooringa Ash and Master Brockie were later announced as the first and second reserves for the final after the race times were tallied.

The Grafton Greyhound Racing Club will host their next race meeting on April 9.

Entry is free, all are welcome.