Caption: Northern Rivers trainer Col Graham hopes his promising sprinter Sweetest Smile (pictured) can ‘get back to her best’ in a heat of the $45,000 Futurity series at Ipswich on Saturday night. Photo: Just Greyhound Photos

Weekly wrap of racing at Ipswich with MIKE HILL

NORTHERN NSW-based trainer Col Graham hopes a visit to his chiropractor this week keeps him in top shape for a hectic two days of travel with his dogs.

Graham heads to Sydney from his Waingaree base, near Kyogle, on Friday morning with his outstanding sprinter Seven Sinners looking for success in the $25,000-to-the-winner Million Dollar Chase Consolation (520m) at Wentworth Park later in the day.

It’s his third trip to the ‘Big Smoke’ in three weeks.

Then once home, sometime on Saturday morning, he’ll collect a trio of siblings – sisters Sweetest Smile and Sweetest Of All and their brother Hilltop Prince – and set off for Queensland where the threesome will contest heats of the $45,000 Ipswich Futurity and Derby series over 520m that night.

Graham gives Seven Sinners, a litter sister to highly talented sprinter Magistrate, a good chance in the Consolation after she missed qualifying for the $1million-to-the-winner MDC final ‘by a lip’ in last week’s semi-finals.

“She’s an unbelievable sprinter,” the trainer said. “She just missed getting into the MDC final.

“She’ll give it her best.

“She’s only tiny but she’s good.”

Graham also has high hopes for his three Ipswich-bound youngsters – Sweetest Smile has drawn box two in the opening of the three Futurity heats, Sweetest Of All will jump from box seven in the third heat, while Hilltop Prince steps out of box eight in the first of four Derby heats.

“The girls have good chances,” the trainer said.

“They’re such good chasers.

“But they’ll be up against good dogs.”

Graham, who visited his chiropractor in Kyogle on Thursday morning for a ‘tune-up’ in readiness for two days on the road, said he had been a bit baffled with Sweetest Smile’s past two runs at Albion Park after a super 30.35s (BON) victory at Ipswich in late September.

“Her recent runs at Albion Park were very disappointing,” he said.

“I’ve been over her and I couldn’t find anything wrong with her.

“I’m just hoping she can get back to her best.”

Graham’s other two youngsters will be racing at Ipswich for the first time.

“They haven’t raced there before but I did trial them at the track on Monday,” he said.

“I gave Sweetest Of All a post-to-post and Hilltop Prince trialled over the 520m trip.

“I just wanted them to have a good look at the track.

“I was happy with their runs.”

Sweetest Of All was a last start runner-up to Affluent in a 520m Novice at Albion Park late last month, while Graham has a big opinion of Hilltop Prince.

“The dog can run, he broke 30s (29.98s) in winning his maiden at Albion Park (in July).

“But he’s a bad beginner; he’s slow out of the boxes.

“He comes out slow, fires up to the leaders and fades late,” he said.

“And he’s not a good traveller.

“I just wish he could get out of the boxes like Seven Sinners – she’s an unbelievable little dog.”

GREYHOUND lovers are in for a treat at Ipswich on Saturday night with the launch of the Listed Futurity and Derby series over 520m.

Three mouth-watering heats for the girls and four absorbing heats for the boys highlight the 12-race program.

A brief look at the Futurity heats:

Heat 1: The Adam McIntosh-trained Kisses For Gran looks the testing material from box one, with the main dangers likely to be Prim And Precise, from the strong Tom Tzouvelis kennels, Fly Out Day (Michael Lalicz) and Sweetest Smile (Col Graham).

Heat 2: Autumn Storm (Tom Tzouvelis) is racing in fabulous form and likes the track with three wins and two placings from six outings. Dangers look to be Togatuki (Bob Giltinan), Sagai Miss (Garry Gilbert) and the Ned Snow-prepared Mischievous Lou, although she’s not suitably boxed in seven.

Heat 3:  The John Corrigan-trained Uno Nangar (box 3) is chasing a hat-trick of wins after double success over 520m at Albion Park in recent weeks, and there should be plenty of interest in WA sprinter Page One News (Kody Charles), having her first Queensland start. Others with chances look to be Sweetest Of All (Col Graham) and It Wasn’t Me (Garry Gilbert).

Derby heats:

Heat 1: Jedda Cutlack’s Duffman has an impressive record at Ipswich – five wins, four placings from nine starts, including the Vince Curry. The talented chaser ran fourth behind the flying Explicit in a MDC semi at Wentworth Park last week. Others to watch include last-start winner Apollo’s Sun (Martina Kirillidis), Hilltop Prince (Col Graham) and Glastonbury Man (Ned Snow).

Heat 2: More Than Money(Pamela Field) has been racing in top grade at Albion Park of late with a 30.01s win three starts back. Villain Of Magic (Kerry Hoggan) is chasing a hat-trick of wins, while Miraculum (Jayson Valentine) obviously has promise after a super 29.86s (BOM) maiden win at Albion Park last month. Another Bill (Selena Zammit) is also one to watch.

Heat 3: Golden Bear (Adam McIntosh) has the ability to dominate his rivals. If he does everything right he should be going through to the final. Dangers include Backcreek Benny, a new addition to the strong Selena Zammit team, the in-form Humble Hornet (Ray Burman) and Fast Eddie (Ben McCarthy).

 Heat 4: Leading Ipswich trainer Ned Snow has Extreme Tension firing at the moment with a last-start 30.32s (BON) victory. The dangers look to be the consistent Gerald Corrigan-prepared Zephyr, Tony Apap’s Ruin Art, a last start winner in a smart 30.37s, and Affluent (John McCarthy) jumping from box two.

BRAD Belford had another successful night at Ipswich last Saturday.

The former Townsville-based trainer led in three winners – Isamu Lachy ($6.50) in a novice, Here Wolfe ($3.60) in a 4th/5th Grade and Nangar Sniper ($6) in a 5th Grade.

Since arriving in the Ipswich region several months back, Belford’s team has been in sparkling form.