Catch The Thief Wins SA Match Race Thriller

SOUTH Australian Match Race winner Catch The Thief will stay in Adelaide with stand-in trainer Petar Jovanovic for the next two weeks now that he has qualified to go straight into the Group 1 Adelaide Cup final.

The dog's trainer Matt Clark said this today after Catch The Thief (Aussie Infrared-Dundee Ally) had run 29.58 to win the Match race series last night by the narrowest of margins, a .0002 victory over Golden Night with Zipping Zarbo in third.

Clark says Catch The Thief will trial between races at Angle Park next Thursday night when the heats of Adelaide's flagship event will also be run.

“I thought his run was fantastic last night,” said Clark. “He got very fizzed up prior to the race and this caused him to bomb the start.

“That is not normally him and we will take steps not to have him stirred up like that prior to the Cup final.

“The track was a bit on the slow side, so overall his performance was fabulous.

“Petar is doing a wonderful job with the dog and he really loves him.”

Clark admits it was difficult to choose between the Adelaide Cup and a tilt at the TAB Million Dollar Chase.

“In the end, it came down to us knowing the dog,” he said.

“When we took him up for the Vic Peters it was hard going. The dog stressed out pretty badly after the heats of the Vic Peters.

“It is much easier to get to Adelaide.”

Catch The Thief has had a rushed time of it in recent weeks.

“He was loaded straight into a transport van the night of the Speed Star at The Meadows and went straight over to Petar's kennels,” said Matt.

“Petar kept him on the lead with a few free gallops.

“That's probably why he faded ever so slightly coming to the line last night.

“But with a trial next Thursday night, he should go into the Cup final at his peak.”

Clark and the dog's owners are already looking ahead to a stud career for Catch The Thief whose career record is already 30 starts for 18 wins and $141,000 in stakes.