If you needed any more proof that TAB Melbourne Cup night is the country’s premier night of greyhound racing, you need look no further than tonight’s Victorian Greyhound of the Year awards.
All three contenders for the 2020 Victorian Sprinter of the Year won a feature race on TAB Melbourne Cup night, while two of the three Stayer of the Year contenders did the same. The exception, Just Terms, ran third in the group 1 Bold Trease final.
The Victoria Greyhound Of The Year will be drawn from those six greyhounds in what is one of the most even crop of canine superstars in the 47 year history of the award.
The awards ceremony will be conducted online via the Greyhound Racing Victoria Facebook page from 8pm, but before you settle in to Victorian greyhound racing’s night of night from the comfort of your living room, lets take a look at the six finalists and their achievements through the 2019/20 season, and their performances on that memorable 2019 TAB Melbourne Cup night.
Statistics refer to their 2019/20 season only. Runners are listed in alphabetical order.
Victorian Sprinter Of The Year
Finalists
Sennachie
Trainer: Steve White
Record: 13 starts 7-2-1
Prize money: $584,985 (including the Cup Night Speed Star)
Group race performances:
WON group 1 Maturity
WON group 1 Brisbane Cup
WON group 1 Gold Bullion
WON group 3 Golden Ticket
2nd group 3 Speed Star
3rd group 1 Adelaide Cup
WON Cup Night Speed Star
Sennachie defeats Feral Franky in the first ever Cup Night Speed Star
Simon Told Helen
Trainer: David Burnett
Record: 27 starts 17-7-0
Prize money: $516,745
Group race performances:
WON group 1 Silver Chief
WON group 1 Perth Cup
WON group 1 Harrison-Dawson
WON group 2 Queensland Derby
WON group 3 Great Chase
WON group 3 Cup Night Sprint
2nd group 2 Warrnambool Cup
2nd group 3 Silver Bullet
Simon Told Helen wins the Cup Night Sprint, recorded the fastest ever middle section in the process
Whiskey Riot
Trainer: Anthony Azzopardi
Record: 24 starts 11-8-3
Prize money: $740,055
Group race performances:
WON group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup
WON group 1 Temlee
2nd group 1 Maturity
2nd group 1 Adelaide Cup
2nd group 2 Ballarat Cup
2nd group 3 Shootout
3rd group 1 TAB Topgun
3rd group 1 TAB Australian Cup
3rd group 2 Shepparton Cup
Whisky Riot wins the TAB Melbourne Cup in the closest ever finish of the world’s greatest greyhound race
Victorian Stayer Of The Year
Finalists
Just Terms
Trainer: Anthony Azzopardi
Record: 35 starts 14-11-5
Prize money: $242,630
Group race performances:
WON group 1 Zoom Top
WON group 3 Christmas Cheer
3rd group 1 Super Stayers
3rd group 1 Bold Trease
3rd listed Gold Cup
Tornado Tears
Trainer: Robert Britton
Record: 19 starts 7-3-2
Prize money: $207,365
Group race performances:
WON group 1 Bold Trease
WON group 3 Speed Star
1st listed Fireball
2nd group 1 National Distance Championship
Tornado Tears defies the odds to win his third group 1 at Sandown Park, Just Terms finishing 3rd
True Detective
Trainer: Jeff Britton
Record: 38 starts 22-3-1
Prize money: $351,440
Group race performances:
WON group 1 Hume Cup
WON group 2 Summer Distance Plate
WON listed Sky Racing Stayers
WON listed Gold Cup
2nd group 1 Super Stayers
2nd group 1 RSN Sandown Cup
3rd group 3 Speed Star
True Detective wins the Sky Racing Stayers
Tune into the Greyhound Racing Victoria Facebook page from 8pm for all of the 2019/20 winners
