Angus Boxed To Perfection In Champion Puppy

VICTORIAN trainer Emily Azzopardi is confident red runner Angus Keeping is perfectly boxed and a certain improver for Thursday night's final of the Champion Puppy (530m) at Angle Park.

Emily will be represented by three littermates, Angus Keeping, Monique Keeping and Melissa Keeping (Fernando Bale-Caitlyn Keeping) all from the Charmaine Roberts/Shayne Stiff kennel in NSW.

Angus Keeping was impressive in winning his heat of the Champion Puppy on Thursday night in 30.71 beating Fifty Eight by three-quarters of a length with Queen Of Scotch in third.

Champion Puppy (box draw): 1 Angus Keeping, 2 Fifty Eight, 3 Queen Of Scotch, 4 Melissa Keeping, 5 Monique Keeping, 6 Yankee Costanza, 7 Finnies Redeem, 8 Rushes Raw. Res: 9 Lektra Teddy, 10 Dashing Deb.

Box draw for the 2022 Champion Puppy Final at Angle Park next Thursday night. Three terrific heats tonight with a great line up next week. pic.twitter.com/CsRtgtPr68

— SA Greyhound Tips (@TheDogsSA) July 14, 2022

“Angus is box perfectly,” said Emily. “All three of our finalists should be improved by the run on the track.

“My partner Matt (Lanigan) took them over for a box to box trial on the track but all three were a bit slow out in their heats.

“We expect them to improve off that for the final.”

Emily said the box draw had also worked for Monique Keeping and Melissa Keeping.

“Melissa is drawn the four and she likes to head to the fence, while Monique has the five and she will take steps to the left early,” she said.

She rates fastest heat winner Rushes Raw (My Redeemer-Moltisanti) the hardest to beat.

“It had the eight in the heat, pinged out and led through in 30.48,” she said.

“That will make Rushes Law the one to beat for sure.

“But it is a pretty even field for the final.”

It took Emily and Matt nine hours to get from their Victorian base to Angle Park and they arrived home at 6.15am last Friday morning.

Charmaine Roberts sent Emily the littermates because she was keen to have them prepared by a woman trainer.

“And, there is also a strong bond between Matt's dad and Shayne,” said Emily.

“They have tripped to Ireland for the coursing together in the past and raced a coursing dog together.”