Country Cup winners Hard Style Rico and Tiggerlong Tonk meet in an enthralling mixed grade race at Sandown Park tonight.
Hard Style Rico, fresh off a brilliant victory in the Shepparton Cup, is the $1.35 favourite for the event after drawing box 1, while Tiggerlong Tonk is rated a $4.20 chance from box 8.
TAB will be offering a special head to head market between the two greyhounds, open 10 minutes before the start of the race.
Here’s how the two trainers rate their runner’s chances:
Luckie Karabitsakos (Hard Style Rico) – “He’s travelling really well. We haven’t done a whole lot with him (since Shepparton Cup win), just kept him fresh and done a bit of free galloping. In his first box to box at Sandown he went 5.06, 18.70 at 15 months of age, so he certainly handles the place OK.”
Hard Style Rico (8) wins the Shepparton Cup
Corey Grenfell (Tiggerlong Tonk) – “It’ll be a good race. It’s hard to say where my bloke will be – it looks like there’ll be a bit of speed in the race which should help us get across. He has been missing the start a little of late, but I love him off the pink it should give him the chance to put the hammer down mid-race. He’s feeling good, I just hope he jumps better than he has been.”
Tiggerlong Tonk (3) wins the Horsham Cup
Both greyhounds will likely be set for the group 3 Easter Gift which will be run at Sandown Park on Thursday 9 April. Another being set for the $25,000 to the winner event is TAB Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot who returns to Sandown Park fro the first time since his Cup triumph when he jumps from box 1 in race 8.
Watch all of tonight’s racing live on Sky Racing (Foxtel channel 526), the TAB or The Watchdog app.
Click here for your free Watchdog form guide for tonight’s meeting.
