Box speed vital for Woods’ Golden Chase duo

By Pat McLeod

Veteran Brisbane conditioner Bradley Woods is banking on box speed to guide his two hopes through the semi-final stage of the Golden Chase Straight at The Q on Thursday.

The Greenbank-based trainer has Hooked On Scotch and More Than Magic littermates Little House (box six in the first semi-final) and Scotch And Bye (box three in the second semi-final) on the Q Straight.

He says Little House has the better of the box draws and is his best hope of an appearance in the $20,000 Final.

“The big plus for my two is that they both get out of the boxes well and have done that consistently in their careers to date,” Woods said.

“Through their racing so far, Scotch And Bye has always been four to five lengths quicker than her sister.

“However, Scotch And Bye is a little bit timid, whereas Little House has got a big heart. Nothing stops her.

“Looking at these semi-finals, I think Little House is better drawn coming out of the six and therefore has the better chance of making it through.

“She will most likely start well from the six and then will gradually come across to the fence."

Woods believes Scotch And Bye has quick box dogs around her in Thursday's event. 

"Jemma Daley’s Hara’s Neo on her outside and Greg Stella’s (Regal Saint) on her inside," he said. 

“So, the two, three and four are all good beginners. It will be interesting to see how that pans out.

“It really is a case of ‘watch and see what happens’ with my two girls in these semis.

“They are both coming off a season and will improve with each run.”

Woods, who has been involved with greyhounds since he was a child, said, as always, luck will play a key role on Thursday.

“Both my girls are tiny, 25-26kgs, so they are not really built for straight racing,” he said.

“And, there are plenty of good dogs in these semis, so we do need a little bit of luck.

“We will just see what happens, but luck goes a long way in greyhound racing.”

No matter how this Thursday pans out, Woods is looking forward to the next two legs of the 2026 Golden Chase series.

They are the $50,000 457 metre feature on the Q1 Lakeside (heats on March 28) and then the $110,000 520 metre last leg on the Q2 Parklands through August and September.

“Depending on how these two girls mature, I have no doubt that they will be able to get 520 metres, so I am a little excited about what they might offer for the rest of this series,” Woods said.

“The dam, More Than Magic, raced up to 600 metres and littermates have already raced over 550 metres. 

“I'll be happy to put them through those next two legs as long as they stay sound.

“Both these girls would be ideal over the 520 metres because they are good beginners and can get straight on the bunny.

“I do like the concept of the (Golden Chase) series this year and the fact that they have started on the straight and then the next two legs, over longer distances, are spaced well apart.

“It is a nice, gradual buildup for the dogs. It gives the young ones a chance to balance up.”