Stunning Silver Collar heats
Peter Fenemor • June 3rd, 2025 9:36 AM • 4 min read
Sunday’s three-779m Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar heats at the Manukau Stadium lived up to all expectations that goes with tradition in New Zealand’s premier staying race.
Pace, strength, stamina, and track sense highlighted the winning performances delivered by the three heat winners.
The Geraldine wonder Grande Vue Ace had to be good, very good just to qualify for the decider, let alone win her heat.
In the first heat she settled in the rear group, then was held wide before pressing forward while being jostled when going down the back straight the second time.
Grande Vue Ace was held wide in traffic when rounding the final turn. From there she displayed fantastic track sense when weaving down onto the rail to unleash a potent finish, carrying her to victory by a neck margin, clocking 47.39 seconds.
Opawa Corban was gallant for Jack Johnson when only just going under while the Garry Cleeve prepared Tess will be the first reserve for the final after claiming her third placing.
‘Crafty’ Cleeve is a renowned conditioner of staying greyhounds, and he produced his home bred stayer Little Dodo to deliver an equalling stunning heat win when blasting to his 47.36 heat win. He settled last and was still last with a lap of the track to run.
Little Dodo improved going down the back straight, then found himself jammed up in traffic, being the widest runner when the field jammed together rounding the final turn.
He balanced up, then unwound with a withering finish which carried him to his impressive 47.36 track debut victory.
One of the series favourites Johnny Football made a moderate start by his standards, with the Lisa Cole mentored stayer settling midfield. He grinded his way through traffic to press on stoutly to secure his final field position finishing 1.5 lengths behind Little Dodo.
Chief Dribble demolished his rivals in last year’s Silver Collar final when delivering his searing 46.01 track record.
Last Sunday the Matt Roberts mentored stayer showed he is right on target to defend his title by again showing his rivals a clean set of hind paws when powering his way to his stylish pace making 47.10 heat win.
Sweet And Sassy was gallant when chasing the pacemaker throughout for her 2.75 length second for Jamie Pruden and the Rob Roper prepared Boom Lateral will return for his second lick at a Silver Collar when finishing a further 2.5 lengths behind.
The Silver Collar heats was highlighted by the presence of the “Chair Team” who are a group of wheelchair bound supporters of Grande Vue Ace, who participated in her post-race podium activities. They will be returning on Sunday to support Grande Vue Ace in Sunday’s $80,000 final.
Bob Pringle attended Geraldine High School with his now paraplegic classmate Gavin Parish. The pair has since reestablished contact through the racing deeds of Grande Vue Ace.
Disaster struck after the Silver Collar heats with the balance of the meeting being abandoned owing to track equipment failure.
Included was the two Group 1 Waterloo Cup 527m heats, meaning that five greyhounds from the 16 accepted heat runners being drawn by ballot to determined who will join the three- greyhounds who qualified from last Thursday’ Addington 525m hosted heat.
Those Addington qualifiers are the Dave Fahey and Katie Wyllie trained current NZ Cup title holder One Hot Bandit along with his strong finishing kennelmate Opawa Shirley.
Splitting the kennelmates was the Garry Cleeve prepared Stuck Throttle.
