With the third edition of the TAB Million Dollar Chase in the books, the feature race calendar descends upon Victoria for the best month of greyhound racing of the year.
And with all roads leading to the TAB Melbourne Cup on Friday November 27 – the heats of which will be released in exactly four weeks time – we thought we’d take a look at a few of the up and coming talents on the Cup trail.
Trying to find the Cup winner this far out is a challenge – the quality of greyhounds across the country seems to get stronger every year and that’s reflected in the TAB pre-nominations market with Catch The Thief and Simon Told Helen $9 equal favourite and 12 other greyhounds rated $17 chances or less.
There is value to be found at this time of the year, as we saw in the same piece we ran ahead of the 2019 Cup series. So, with pockets full and ego boosted, we’re ready to reload and go again.
As with last year, we’re going to exclude greyhounds that have already qualified for the heats on Friday 20 November – their form is well established. So here’s five young pups on the rise to follow through the world’s greatest greyhound race – and beyond.
Let us know your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and check out the latest TAB pre-nomination market here.
Odds and statistics correct at 9am 20 October 2020.
Xerri
Trainer: Darryl Thomas
Record: 14 starts, 7-4-0
Prize money: $126,350
Sandown best: No starts
Opening price: $31
Current price: $26
Full credit to Handsome Prince on winning the TAB Million Dollar Chase, but the run of the race came from Xerri in box 2. The son of Fernando Bale missed the start terribly and found trouble through the first turn, but recovered well to finish powerfully to run second. He’s still learning the game having had just 14 career starts, but four of his seven career wins have been in the best of the night, he’s been placed in four other starts and has never finished worse than fourth.
Immunity
Trainer: Jason Thompson
Record: 7 starts, 6-0-1
Prize money: $17,400
Sandown best: No starts
Opening price: $71
Current price: $34
In last year’s column, I named Who Told Stevie over kennelmate over Simon Told Helen and while the late Who Told Stevie was a very good dog, Simon Told Helen is a star. This may be a similar situation here too. Immunity is a half sister to 2018 Cup runner up Black Opium in the care of a three time Melbourne Cup winning trainer who won her first six starts before running third in a semi final of the Great Chase. The times she ran in her first two wins at The Meadows were modest but the manner of the wins were ultra impressive. She came back from a six week break with four wins at Shepparton including a run within a length of the track record. Thompson believes her brother Equalizer ($51 > $26) is the faster greyhound. Back them both.
Aussie Secret
Trainer: Jason Thompson
Record: 15 starts, 11-2-1
Prize money: $31,566
Sandown best: 29.69
Opening price: $31
Current price: $21
As good as Immunity and Equalizer are (or could be), Thompson nominated Aussie Secret as his greyhound to follow through to the TAB Melbourne Cup on RSN Central. “He’s very fast early and has a very good middle section” is what he said before Aussie Secret went 5.05, 18.63 on his Sandown debut last Sunday. He’ll need to tighten up the last section over the next month (he ran 29.69 overall) but those splits will have him competitive in any race.
People Get Ready
Trainer: Ned McDonald
Record: 6 starts, 4-1-0
Prize money: $6510
Sandown best: 29.31
Opening price: $34
Current price: $34
If Aussie Secret was impressive on his Sandown debut, People Get Ready was jaw dropping. He ran an identical 18.63 second split but stopped the clock in 29.31, the fastest time run since Sandown Park completed its recent track works. He’s won his two October starts by a combined 22.66 lengths in BON and just 22 months of age should continue to improve his race craft. He’s a litter brother to the brilliant NSW sprinter and MDC finalist Flying Riccardo ($11) too, who could also take a place on this list.
Greyhounds that haven’t won an exemption race must compete in a TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude to be eligible for the Cup heats.
TAB Melbourne Cup Preludes will be run on Thursday, October 29 and Thursday, 12 November. The TAB Melbourne Cup heats will be run on Friday, November 20 with the final of the world’s greatest greyhound race to be run on Friday, 27 November.
Click here to learn more about the TAB Melbourne Cup.
Pic: Whiskey Riot following his TAB Melbourne Cup heat. He was $31 to win the Cup one month from the close of nominations.
