Stars step out at Sandown Park


While all eyes will be on Fernando Bale ahead of tonight’s Victorian heats of the National Sprint Championship, there will be a number of other stars on show under the bright lights of Sandown Park.

Highlighting the fantastic depth in Victorian sprinting, the Australian Greyhound Racing Association’s six highest ranked active sprinters will greet the starter. The 38 greyhounds contesting the heats have combined to win 539 of their 1373 career starts (a 39% winning percentage) and $4.9m in prize money, and 15 of the 38 runners have won in excess of $100,000 in prize money.

There are 11 greyhounds that have won at group level and five that have won group 1s. Fernando Bale and Dyna Villa – the two highest prize money earning sprinting greyhounds in the history of the sport – have both won group 1 events on the track, as has Lamia Bale. Above All, a New Zealand bred greyhound aiming to represent Victoria, is a dual group 1 winner while Cosmic Wise rounds out a group 1 winning quartet.

There are only three greyhounds contesting the series that haven’t won at Sandown Park – 29 have won in 29.50 or faster – and 15 of the 38 runners have won in excess of $100,000 in prize money.

“The quality of tonight’s heats is a good as you’d see on Melbourne Cup heats night,” said Sandown racing and media manager Mick Floyd.

“Whoever makes it through to the national final in Sydney will have earned their place and we can be excited about their chances of bringing the Sprint title back to Victoria.”

The winner of each heat and the three fastest seconds will progress to the Victorian final on Thursday 6 August. The winner of the final will represent the ‘Big V’ in the grand final at Wentworth Park, Sydney, on Saturday 15 August. The AGRA ‘Wildcard’ runner will also come from Victoria, and the relevant scenarios will be clarified once the final of the Victorian series has been determined.

Entry to all meetings at Sandown Park is free, gates open at 6pm and the first of 12 races will jump at 7.09pm.

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