Lamia Bale will be aiming for a third Sandown Park feature race title following her emphatic victory in tonight’s heat of the group 1 Sapphire Crown.
After winning the group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial over 595m in December last year, Lamia Bale returned to claim the group 2 Laurels over 515m just 10 days later. However heading into tonight’s heat, Lamia Bale had won just three of her 15 previous starts (including the group 3 Ambrosoli at Wentworth Park). A switch back to the Sandown 515m distance saw her return to her brilliant best.
Lamia Bale (pictured, right) began well from box 3 to lead clearly through the first turn before going on to win comfortably by 2¼ lengths in 29.27.
“She just really loves the track,” said Jake Collins, deputising for his father Steven Collins.
“The conditions aren’t perfect so I think she could even go a little better. Whatever she does she tries her heart out, she’s such a great little chaser.”
Despite drawing box 6 in the final, Collins is confident of a good showing.
“When she jumps like that she can do her own thing, and running those times she’s going to be hard to beat. There isn’t a lot of pace on her outside and she’s almost faultless out of the boxes, so hopefully she can jump and give them something to chase.”
Lamia Bale has now started 27 times at Sandown Park, winning nine times and being placed on nine occasions.
Lamia Bale’s winning time was more than five lengths faster than the next fastest heat winner, however Mario Briganti is confident of an improved showing from his promising youngster Angie Rocks.
After beginning poorly from box 2, Angie Rocks worked her way through the field and despite spotting the leaders five lengths coming off the back straight, stormed home to win in 29.60.
“She’s very strong and she showed her smarts tonight, she just needs to come out a little better,” said Briganti.
“I stepped her up to the 600m to try and get her out a little better but she kept drawing he middle boxes. She kept getting tangled up in there, she really wants the fence.
“She’s had a couple of weeks off to be ready for the drop back to the 515m. I trialled her here on Saturday where she ran 29.40 so I’d her expect her to go better next week. She’s run home really well tonight so hopefully with the red box in the final she can step a little quicker and show what she can do.”
Cosmic Wise won her first sprint race since winning a Melbourne Cup heat in November 2014 with a strong victory in 29.68, while last start group 3 Ladies Bracelet winner Elfen Bale – a litter sister to phenom Fernando Bale – claimed the final heat in 29.64.
The $145,000 group 1 Sapphire Crown is world’s richest race for female greyhounds and boats some of the sport’s biggest names on its honour roll, including Bogie Leigh, Paua To Burn, Cindeen Shelby, Betty’s Angel, Xylia Allen and Queen Lauryn. The Sapphire Crown final will be run in conjunction with the male-only Harrison-Dawson next Thursday night. The two group 1 features coincide with the heats of the world’s richest staying race, the $250,000 group 1 RSN Sandown Cup, the final of which will be run on Thursday 21 May.
Click here for the latest tab.com.au market for the Sapphire Crown final.
Click here for full results from tonight’s heats
Click here for a summary of tonight’s Harrison-Dawson heats, and box draw for the final
Lamia Bale returns to her brilliant best
Click here for all Sapphire Crown heat replays.
