Jason Thompsons’s exciting chaser El Brooklyn will start the favourite for the Group 1 Macro Meats Sapphire Crown next Thursday night after brilliantly taking out her heat in a scintillating 29.35 seconds at Sandown Park tonight.
The daughter of Thompson’s former champion El Galo began like a rocket from box 5 and lead all the way to defeat Carol Allen by 3.75 lengths. El Brooklyn has now won 12 of her 17 career starts including the Group 2 Warrnambool Classic, and a win in next week’s final would take her career earnings beyond $160,000.
But the striking white and blue greyhound will have to be on her best from after drawing box 6 for the final.
Peggy May gives Thompson a two pronged attack on his search for his first Macro Meats Sapphire Crown, however his Bendigo Cup winner was upstaged by former Victorian It’s A Blur in 29.44 seconds.
Now in the care of NSW based mentor Mark Azzopardi, It’s A Blur began only fairly but held her position on the rail through the first turn, allowing her to unleash a devastating burst off the back straight to race away to a 2.75 length win.
Brenna Bale joins Carol Allen as Graeme Bate’s dual representatives in Australia’s richest female only series after winning her heat by five lengths over Dream Rattler in 29.49 seconds. The Macro Meats Sapphire Crown is one of the few feature races on the Victorian calendar Bate is yet to win, and his chances were dealt a blow when his runners drew boxes 4 and 7 respectively.
Dons Miss won the night’s opening heat over Witch’s Potion by 4.25 lengths in 29.53 seconds.
The final of the Group 1 Macro Meats Sapphire Crown will be run at Sandown Park on Thursday 17 May. The $105,000 final will form part of an outstanding night of greyhound racing, which also features the final of the $105,000 Group 2 Berwick Mazda Harrison-Dawson.
The heats of the Group 1 RSN Sandown Cup – Australia’s richest race for stayers – will also be run on the night with WA super star Miata the highlight.
There will be a $250,000 guaranteed SuperTAB quaddie pool on the meeting, and patrons oncourse will have the chance to win a $2500 travel voucher.
Click on the greyhound’s name below to see a replay of its heat.
$105,000 Group 1 Macro Meats Sapphire Crown (515m)
Box Greyhound Trainer Heat time
1 Dream Rattler Norm Rinaldi
29.82
2 Witch’s Potion
Scott Holmes
29.80
3 Peggy May Jason Thompson
29.62
4 Carol Allen
Graeme Bate 29.59
5 Dons Miss
Kevin Ward
29.53
6 El Brooklyn Jason Thompson
29.35
7 Brenna Bale
Graeme Bate
29.49
8 It’s A Blur
Mark Azzopardi
29.44
9 Black Saharrah
Greg Tatti 1st Res
10 Mini Emily
Jamie Marsh 2nd Res
Mick Floyd selects: 1. Peggy May, 2. Carol Allen, 3. El Brooklyn
