Greig-trained duo hold key to Young Star final 19 / 08 / 2010

TRAINER Garry Greig is no stranger to winning classic finals and in Hobart on Thursday night he will have two live chances of capturing the Betfair Young Star Classic over 461 metres.

Greig has Showtime and Octane Assassin into the final and punters might not be able to separate them as they have drawn boxes three and two respectively.

Showtime (Hallucinate-Witch Magic)  made his way into the final with a polished performance in his heat, scoring by over four lengths from Ren Shen with Colma 2-1/2 lengths away third.

The winner clocked 26.17s which was close to his best (26.14) that he set at his first try on the circuit earlier this month.

It was the dog's fourth win from only five starts in the state and Greig said the performance was testament to the dog's ability.

"The dog has very good habits and that's going to take him a long way," Greig said.

"I'm rapt to be training this dog for a Melbourne-based syndicate and provided he keeps improving I'm sure he has a bright future," the trainer said.

Mr Issues won the remaining heat and in a time similar to Showtime's to suggest he also will make his presence felt in the final.

Mr Issues, prepared at Leith by Gary Johnson, has won five from 11 and been placed three times but his record on Hobart's U-bend circuit is three wins from five tries.

The dog flew the lids from box four and after a stoush with Pantry Pat he found the front and then held out the $1.20 favourite Octane Assassin to score by a half-length from that dog with Dang Shen over two lengths away third.

While punters were left lamenting taking such a short price about the favourite, Octane Assassin is a star in the making and should make amends in the final.

He was climbing all over the dogs in front of him approaching the home turn and may have galloped on the heels of one or two because his action was not fluid in the run home.

Octane Assassin signalled his arrival as a serious chaser last Monday week when he blitzed his rivals in a grade five in Launceston, sizzling over the 515 metres in 29.44, which was just outside of Damek's track record of 29.40.

"I thought he'd probably break 29.60 in Launceston but he shattered that and almost got the record," Greig said.

"He's run home in 12.88 and young dogs just don't do that as a rule."

"I reckon he is a very exciting young dog and hopefully he can go on with it," he said.

Octane Assassin is owned by the trainer's son Robert Greig who is believed to have paid $20,000 for the Pure Octane-Aye Jay Assassin pup.

"My son bought the pup and we are fairly confident he'll easily pay his way."

"The plan is to take him to Adelaide (SA) next month and there's a nice aged race for him in Western Australia after that, so you can see we are prepared to travel to find suitable races," he said.

Octane Assassin has won four from five outings in Tasmania but he also has won at The Meadows in Melbourne.

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