DOGWATCH

THE Grand Prix over the staying distance of 732m will highlight the 10 race program at Ipswich tomorrow night.

It will be race 8 at 7.04pm, with total prizemoney of $12,600, including a winner's purse of $8400.

The race has a state of origin flavour about it, with six Queensland-trained greyhounds taking on two from NSW.

Infrared Lad (box 8) for trainer Joanne Price looks best of the Queensland hopes. He is on a hat-trick, coming off recent 710m and last start 600m wins, both at Albion Park. He took out the Group 3 Winter Chase at Albion Park in May.

Trainer Joanne Price has already tasted success in an Ipswich Grand Prix with former kennel star Mullaway. He had three attempts at the Grand Prix running fourth in 2014. He fell in 2015 before finally crossing the line first in 2016, coincidently from box 8, which Infrared Lad will jump from tomorrow night.

He will settle on the speed and prove hard to beat along with another front-running stayer the Craig Cassidy trained Flyaway Barb (box 4).

NSW-trained grand old dame of the track Ebby Ripper, for Michael Eberand, will line up for her second shot at an Ipswich Grand Prix. She was sent north last year by Eberand to Hall of Fame trainer Tony Brett for a winter campaign and finished a gallant third behind Jalapeno and Champagne Sally.

Ebby Ripper recently returned to NSW after having a campaign in New Zealand where she had a win and a second from four starts.

Unlike Infrared Lad and Flyaway Barb, Ebby Ripper's racing pattern is to get back early. But look for her late charging home.

The box draw: 1 Hot Ember (Peter O'Reilly), 2 Ebby Ripper (Michael Eberand), 3 Shine Anna (Keiron Butler), 4 Flyaway Barb (Craig Cassidy), 5 Times A Bonus (Craig Cassidy), 6 Dragon Spin (Brett Hastie), 7 Monica's Joy (Jason Bloomfield), 8 Infrared Lad (Joanne Price).

My selections: 8 Infrared Lad, 2 Ebby Ripper, 4 Flyaway Barb.

This Sandpaper a winner

IT was a cricket World Cup Australian batsman Steve Smith would want to forget. However, his namesake made a winning debut at Ipswich on Tuesday.

Sandpaper Smithy, for trainer Grant Franklin, carried the yellow rug - the same colour as the sandpaper that was used in the now infamous cricket match.

Sandpaper Smithy (My Bro Fabio-Gunlee Galo) scored a runaway 3l victory in 25.64.

Let's hope Steve, the cricket, had a few dollars on his canine namesake.