Anniversary Cup Valhalla's Hobart Compensation

IF things had worked out better for trainer Tom Tzouvelis, he would not be heading to Capalaba on Sunday with hot favourite Valhalla for the Anniversary Cup Final (366m).

Valhalla, by Orson Allen out of Femme Folle, goes into the final off a scorching 19.43 second heat win last week.

He has won 12 of 17 starts at Capalaba and is a Group winner at Queensland's straight track.

“But, my ideal was to take him to the heats of the Hobart 1000 which are run Thursday night,” Tzouvelis said.

Valhalla had torn a chest muscle some time ago and in his comeback trial with the Hobart 1000 heats his target, he went 19.84 around Grafton with a 5.22 run home that Tzouvelis was told is a record.

“It was a fabulous trial and Hobart here we come,” he said.

“But, he pulled up with a sore hip and I could not work him enough to have him right for Hobart.

“I didn't want to rush him for Hobart so we looked elsewhere.”

Plan-B went into operation and that is the heats last Sunday of the Anniversary Cup at Capalaba.

“He went into the heats without a run behind the lure for three weeks,” Tzouvelis said of the winner of 14 races and $148,000.

While Valhalla has drawn the three, Tzouvelis says that is not a great box for him and he pointed to the Dave Irwin-trained Impress Dressel as the hardest to beat from box eight.

“It is a very good line-up in the final and they all have a chance, but Irwin's dog is a very good dog up the straight and he is perfectly boxed in the eight,” he said.

Valhalla is a powerful finisher on the straight.

“I don't think he has broken two seconds for the first mark more than once or twice in his 17 starts at Capalaba,” he said.

“But, he always runs home in 13.30 or 13.40 and that's hard to hold out. It's his strength that wins it for him.”

Valhalla has won just two circle races, running 30.03 at Albion Park and a maiden win at Ipswich in 30.57.

“He's awkward on the circle and handles racing on the straight much better,” Tzouvelis said.

He has no immediate plans for the dog after the Anniversary Cup final, but hints a feature race at Richmond late in January could be on the target.

“He will be suited there because of the drag lure now, but Richmond is 40 metres shorter than Capalaba and the final part of his races is his strength,” Tzouvelis said.

Tzouvelis remarked on the fact his very first feature race winner, Highway Jon in the 1995 National Straight Track Championship at Capalaba, was worth $10,000 to the winner and Sunday's race carries $18,000 to the winner.

“I had my trainer's license for only four to six weeks before Highway Jon won. We had bought him from Harold Griffiths a NSW trainer who used to come to Queensland all the time to race,” he said.