Amron Boy Returns With Paws Of Thunder In Sight

POWERHOUSE sprinter Amron Boy will be on trial for the upcoming Group 1 Paws Of Thunder when he starts unbackable odds at Sandown Park on Thursday night.

Stepping out for the first time since his mind-boggling second placed finish to Wow She's Fast in The Phoenix, Amron Boy has drawn box one in a 3/4th grade over the 515 metres where he holds a distinct class edge on his rivals.

And if everything goes according to script, co-trainer Jamie Ennis has earmarked the Group 1 Paws Of Thunder (520m) at Wentworth Park as the son of Zambora Brockie's first big race target for 2023.

"All things being equal he'll be in Sydney for the heats of the Paws Of Thunder in a fortnight's time (January 14)," Ennis said.

"After The Phoenix I gave him a little bit of time off and the past 10 or so days he's been working in the runs at home. Looking back he'd had a pretty tough campaign going through the Melbourne Cup, Silver Chief and The Phoenix so the little freshen up has done him good.

"Thursday night's race looks ideal for him and the one box only helps further.

AMRON BOY recorded a long-awaited Group victory in this month's #SilverChief Final at @MelbourneGreys in dominant fashion.

Where does this race appear in the Top 10 of 2022?

? https://t.co/cXuYlawbEm#GreyhoundRacingpic.twitter.com/5rh9ioiSVL

— WatchDog Racing (@WatchDogRacing) December 31, 2022

"It'd actually be good to save up this box one draw up for when he's in one of the big ones!"

FIELDS AND FORM SANDOWN PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

While Sydneysiders are set to get another glimpse of the Group 1 Silver Chief hero in the coming weeks, Ennis has ruled out a trip to Brisbane later in the month for the lucrative Group 1 Gold Bullion at Albion Park.

"It's a good problem to have with so many races with big prize money to choose from," Ennis said.

"To go to Brisbane this time of year with the heat is a bit of a task so we've decided to give it a miss. With Sydney we can travel up and back from home and not have to change his routine too much.

"Things change but at the moment we are looking at the Paws Of Thunder before getting him ready for the Temlee and Australian Cup at The Meadows."

Winner at 14 of his 33 starts and rapidly closing in on half-a-million in stakes, Amron Boy's stunning performance in The Phoenix – running Wow She's Fast to a head – had to be seen to be believed.

"If he'd run a race like that in say 30.30 you'd go okay but to do it in 29.80 with the run he had was remarkable," Ennis said.

"Just enormously proud of the dog's run. It was a tough beat and right up there for me with Ella Enchanted's second in the 2019 Sandown Cup, she was a tragedy beaten.

"I'm looking forward to getting him back to Wentworth Park. He trialled 29.60 there before he had no luck from box eight in a city qualifier of the Million Dollar Chase.

"But he's racing much better now so I'm really keen to see what time he can run if he draws a box."

While Ennis is upbeat about what the next six months hold for his kennel star Amron Boy, he's equally excited about the hugely talented Guelph, on the comeback trail from injury after going amiss when a tearaway leader in the recent Group 2 Laurels.

"She's a better bitch than what I first probably thought she was when she came down here," Ennis said.

"She was going to win the Laurels but that's racing – it happens. The injury could have been worse and the plan now is to have her back for the Australian Cup carnival."