Barefoot Zulu proved his high reputation by winning his heat of the Listed Grafton Maiden Classic (450m) in near-record time on Sunday night, clocking 25.06. The son of Sennachie-Kooringa Maisie, now trained by Steve Keep, had previously shattered the track record with a 24.87 in a stewards' trial.
As the $1.60 favourite, he led the race and won by seven and a half lengths over Nangar Lady. Drawing box six for the $20,000 final, Keep expressed his delight with the performance, accentuating that the box draw was favourable for Barefoot Zulu's chances. He believed the positioning would keep the dog out of trouble, with other competitors paving a clear path for him.
Keep identified Nangar Lady as the main contender, particularly after drawing the rails. Keepie also celebrated his return to driving after a three-month break, reaffirming his commitment to training greyhounds over his previous job as a driving instructor.
The Grafton July Carnival continues to be dominated by Dennis Barnes, who has several finalists, including Nangar Lady and Southport McGraw, and bred other finalists like Dusty McGraw. The box draw for the Grafton Maiden Classic Final is as follows: 1 Nangar Lady, 2 Southpaw McGraw, 3 Dusty McGraw, 4 My Monroe, 5 Sweetest Of All, 6 Barefoot Zulu, 7 Zipping Kristoff, 8 Breakout Boy, with reserves Major McGraw and Uno Nangar.