As Victorians prepare for a long chilly winter, there’s one place to warm up this Thursday night and that’s the home of Thursday night greyhound racing, ‘Sandown Park’.
The best greyhounds the nation has to offer are converging on Sandown Park for what is set to be a memorable night of chasing with four heats of the Group 1 ‘RSN Sandown Cup’ and two Group 1 finals. Fernando Bale, Space Star, Sweet it is…. The list can go on for days with some of the best depth we have witnessed in one night of racing.
The racing kicks off 7.09pm and the in form Waymore’s Blues appears set to take out the 595m mixed 4/5 event. His gutsy second in the Group 3 ‘Racecallers’ recently was tip top to say the least chasing Sisco Rage to 1.25L (Replay) and the form stacks up super with Sisco Rage qualifying for the Group 1 ‘Harrison Dawson’.
For the four heats of the Sandown Cup I’m keen on Dzeko (heat 1), Lady Toy (heat 2), Sweet It Is (heat 3) and of course Space Star in the final heat. With the first two placegetters to qualify for next week’s $250,000 final, it would be a decent surprise if any of these staying stars didn’t qualify for the richest staying race in Australia.
The Group 1 Sapphire Crown is set to take off at 8.52pm with a stunning field of female sprinters. With the 21 month old youngster Angie Rocks expected to be sent off the clear favourite, I’m heading in a different direction with Humming Birdhill once again my on top selection.. After being turned sideways going forward early in her luckless second last week, I think she can run a mighty race at around $33 and play as a terrific each way bet.
The perfect greyhound lines up in the Group 1 Harrison Dawson with the perfect draw, Fernando Bale (pictured top). Australia’s most in form sprinter lines up in what looks his race to loose once again. With 8 straight wins including a last start 28.98 (Replay) -only one other has ever broken 29.00 at Sandown and that was Bekim Bale 28.96 TR – he surely just wins again. After smashing the mid race section records at Sandown Park recently he looks quite simply way too good once again… The biggest question is simply if he will put a paw wrong any time soon. He looks the ultimate race dog with a tremendous consistency to run breathtaking times and I can’t wait to see him in the flesh once again doing what he does best.
I’m also super keen Weston East to follow through and run a top placing after a very smart 29.30 win heat win last week. It’s a night that can’t be missed, It’s your chance to see the best greyhounds compete right here in Melbourne’s backyard at Sandown Park with racing wrapping up at 10.58pm – Be there. Happy punting folks.
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Sandown Park Formguide: Click Here
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*The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily of GRV.
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