Catch The Thief is Victoria’s show stealer in the Group 1 Adelaide Cup series (515m) at Angle Park.
He gained exemption from tomorrow night’s heats after receiving automatic entry into the final – courtesy of his SA Match Race Series win.
Catch The Thief won the G2 WA Derby and G3 Warragul St Leger, was a finalist in the G1 Vic Peters Classic and G3 Cranbourne Classic, and runner-up in the G3 Speed Star.
He’s also won 18 races from 30 starts – including 12 of his past 17.
However, Matt Clark’s champ is backed up by a Victorian support crew that is anything but a ‘B grade’ cast – including group race winners Oakvale Beauty, Rajasthan and Taken.
Oakvale Beauty (Heat 6 – R7 B8 @ 9.19pm) won the G2 Laurels and was a finalist in the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Paws Of Thunder and G1 Temlee. She has also contested a G2 Horsham Cup and was runner-up in a G3 SA Oaks.
Rajasthan (Heat 7 – R8 B6 @ 9.40pm) is a former star stayer now in the twilight of his career. He has contested five G1s, including winning a Sandown Cup and finishing second in a Rookie Rebel.
Taken (B8) – also engaged in Heat 7 – won the G3 Cranbourne Classic and was a finalist in the G3 Warragul St Leger.
Meanwhile, Aston Silk (Heat 1 – R2 B1 @ 7.28pm) was runner-up in the G1 Sapphire Crown and a G1 National Futurity finalist. Also contesting Heat 1 are Slick Riot (B3) and Zipping Zarbo (B7).
Summer Sizzle (Warrnambool) winner Slick Riot is a younger half-brother of Victorian Greyhound of the Year Whiskey Riot – who won the G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Temlee, and was runner-up in last year’s G1 Adelaide Cup – and his litter brother Fernando’s Riot, who won the G1 Australian Cup.
Zipping Zarbo is a provincial sprint queen with 16 wins from 29 starts – including the President’s Cup at Horsham.
And the strong Vic contingent also includes Kipling (Heat 6 – R7 B1 @9.19pm) who has won 20 races from 36 starts – including a 410m track record (22.84sec) at Horsham. He was also runner-up in the Listed Mount Gambier Cup.
Other Victorians contesting the heats are: Love And Thunder (Heat 3 – R4 B4 @ 8.10pm) and Mepunga Isla (Heat 4 – R5 B1 @ 8.34pm).
