Dulceria humming ahead of National Futurity Heat

By Jordan Gerrans

Humming, peaking and looking a million dollars – those are just a few of the words Matthew Heilbronn used to describe Dulceria ahead of her National Futurity Heat on Friday evening at Wentworth Park.

The Raceview-based trainer has spent the week south of the border to prepare his black bitch in the best possible way.

The Group 3 Townsville Cup winner from last year, Dulceria, impressed Heilbronn on Tuesday with an 18-second box-to-box effort over 520 metres at Wentworth Park.

She will jump from box four on Friday evening in the third heat of the evening and the third-generation greyhound trainer is full of confidence.

“If she can lead the three (Idolize), she just wins her heat,” Heilbronn said.

“She trialled the fastest box-to-box on Tuesday down here.

“She just needs to get around that first corner, she is humming and she is peaking at her best.

“She is feeling a million dollars.”

With his father looking after the rest of the kennel’s greyhounds in Queensland, Heilbronn has set up shop with Dulceria at Shelly Beach, aiming to mirror the dogs preparation from when she had success in the North Queensland City earlier this year.

“She is only young but she does everything right,” he said.

“You cannot fault her.

“She is enjoying herself staying in this motel we are staying in down here.”

Heilbronn considered going through the Group 3 Golden Ticket series at Albion Park this week but was tempted by the $75,000 on offer in the Group 1 National Futurity Final.

Dulceria is likely to head towards next month’s Group 1 Gold Bullion following the National Futurity before looking at the Golden Easter Egg heats later in the year.

Meanwhile, fellow Sunshine State trainer Robert Ayres heads to Wentworth Park this week also in the hunt for feature success.

Ayres and his kennel star Lucky Lance had their fingers crossed when it came to the box draw for the Group 1 Paws of Thunder heat but they have again come up with a wide draw.

Ayres, based up at the Glass House Mountains, has long bemoaned Lucky Lance’s inability to draw near the rail over his last 20 or so starts and it will be the case again on Saturday evening, jumping with the black rug on in the eight heat of the night. 

To make matters worse, Lucky Lance has been drawn in a heat with star Aston Rupee in it.

Despite that, the experienced trainer will head to NSW with some optimism, with the kennel finding success south of the border during recent trips.

“My dog is going good but I was just hoping for a bit of luck,” Ayres said.

“He won the other day from five but from outside of that, he always draws wide.

“We have gone down there for a throw at the stumps and we have been given a wide draw and in the race is Aston Rupee.”

Eight heats of the Paws Of Thunder will be run on Saturday evening, with the winners only advancing to the final the following Saturday.

To be a chance of upsetting the speedy Aston Rupee, Ayres says his “bull” needs to be there at the first turn charging, likening his dog to a front rower in the NRL, never giving any ground and always putting in his best effort.