All but one of the five heats was decided by less than two lengths, leaving club officials unable to select a clear favourite for the $1000 final in a fortnight’s time.

Valerie Cleghorn’s Chalk [$5] won the first heat of the Sprint Series by a whopping eight-and-a-half lengths in a brisk 25.53 seconds, but Armidale Greyhound Club’s Barry Mitchell said it was far from a sure thing in the final.

“That’s the first time Chalk has won in Armidale,” he said.

“Any one of the eight in that final could win it.

“There are four or five very fast beginners, so the box draw is going to have a big bearing.”

In the second heat, it was Kayla Ollerton’s Ultimate Bomber [$3.50] who locked up a place in the Sprint Series final with a two-length victory.

Robert Alchin will have two runners in the final after taking out heats three and four with Cosmic Taleya [$6] and Taleya [$3.50] respectively.

Peter Midson snared the last heat with longshot Shaylor Binny [$11].

“Three of the winners ran under 26 [seconds], which is fast,” Mitchell said.

“But even the dog [Ultimate Bomber] who ran a slow time is a very good dog.

“If it begins better it could be in the mix.”

Two heats for the Tex Munford Maiden Series were also run on the day, again without a clear standout runner. Emerald Drive [$4.40] for Alexander Verhagen and Allan Stewart’s Wooster [$3] won the two heats, but it was a runner who finished second that Mitchell believes may offer value in the final.

“I thought Lucky Jewell was a touch unlucky,” he said.

“The two winners both came from box eight which suited them, but if they have to go to say box five in the final it could hurt them.”