SHAWN NOACK

LEWISTON greyhound trainer Ben Rawlings will vie for the Country Open Series title at Angle Park next week after winning a heat at Gawler on Friday, gaining himself a place in the final.

The Country Open Series is for greyhounds that are not rated better than a grade five city class.

This is to ensure that city class dogs that don’t normally run in the country zones are unable to pick up an easy win on the country tracks with a lesser grading.

In sunny conditions last week, the Gawler heat was a closely run affair, with the inside boxes taking all the placings for the race.

Rawlings’ Better Dream triumphed out of box three to advance to the final, which will be held on Adelaide Cup night on October 11.

After the Gawler race last week, Rawlings said he had looked at the program leading up to the Adelaide Cup, and the amount of interstate interest for the event, and decided that the best path for Better Dream to get through to the decider was to try and win the Country Open Series.

Better Dream is a Victorian greyhound that came across to SA when Gerry O’Keefe handed him over, however he is still owned by an interstate syndicate.

The greyhound comes from a good litter, with his sister beaten by a neck in race three, over 400m, earlier in the day at Gawler.

Rawlings said he hadn’t won a Country Cup previously, so he will be looking forward to trying to add another trophy to the cabinet.

He intends to nominate a number of greyhounds for the Adelaide Cup, including Alicante Bouchet, It’s a Riot, and Kisses for Cloada – all of which are very handy runners.

The Gawler Greyhound Racing Club reminds the public that the Gawler Gold Cup will be held on Sunday, November 3.

For enquiries, contact the club on 8522 2935.