By Jordan Gerrans
The Burman kennel think they will need plenty of luck in the inaugural running of the TAB Queensland Flame on Thursday night but the team also has big plans across the entire TAB Golden Greys Summer Carnival.
Mary and Ray Burman qualified Magic Prince for the first ever Queensland Flame last Thursday evening at Albion Park, upsetting hot favourite Farmor Beach in the second of four heats for a position in this week’s Final.
The black dog stopped the clock at 29.94 seconds over 520 metres from box three, with the Burman-trained and owned greyhound to jump from the wide alley of seven in the Final.
Mary would have much preferred an inside draw for the $25,000 to the winner Final, with Magic Prince claiming six of his 10 career victories from inside boxes, and having just won once with the black rug on his back from four attempts.
“He is probably better suited to box one, that is no secret, he is always better off the rails,” Mary said.
“I do not think box seven will do him any favours but if he can get around that first corner in a decent spot, he might be somewhat of chance, but I could not be very confident.
“He just needs a lot of luck on that first corner realistically. His run was super the other week, his acceleration down the back straight was very good.
“If he could repeat that then he will certainly put himself in the race, but if I have had box one, I would be feeling better about his chances.
“We are happy to be there with a chance in the race.”
In the first ever TAB Queensland Flame, Mary expects race favourite Spotted Elk and Tyanna Belle – who will jump from box one and two respectively – to be hard to beat with their inside draws.
Magic Prince is rated a $14 chance to claim the Listed event with the TAB as of Wednesday afternoon.
Boasting a career winning strike-rate at 36 per cent, Magic Prince, from a Zambora Brockie and Magic Hornet litter, was initially trained by Andrew Monaghan south of the border at the start of his career with the Burman’s having too many dogs in their kennel earlier this year.
Monaghan reared the dog and when the borders between NSW and Queensland shut, the Park Ridge-based Burman’s brought him back for his age restricted races over the last six months.