Sandown Greyhounds Set For Stayers Showdown
The nations' best stayers will converge on Sandown Park this Thursday night for the running of Australia's richest race for stayers, the $143,000 Group 1 Radio Sport National Sandown Cup.
The 24 greyhounds contesting the heats includes nine Group race winners and have combined for over $1.8million in career prizemoney, making the 2011 Sandown Cup series one of the most competitive ever.
Last start Group 2 Henry Harrison Memorial winner and track record holder Pillow Torque has drawn box 4 in the night's second heat (race 5) and is likely to start a pre-post favourite for the series. But she will have to be at the top of her game, having drawn against exciting youngster Echelon, 10 time Group finalist Satanic Cash, and former top-liner Forty Twenty who returned from a three month lay off with three consecutive wins.
Six-time Group race winner Blue Lorian headlines the night's opening heat (race 4), but will need an ounce of luck to overcome box eight against Group 1 Super Stayers winner Bobby Boucheau and the under rated Bramley.
In the third and final heat, Group 1 Bold Trease Carnival Cup winner So Seductive returns from a brief let up against the exciting Shimaguni, a winner of all three metropolitan ‘half mile' runs and boasting a 41.77 second best time at the Lightwood Road circuit.
Four heats of the $72,500 Group 3 Dawson completes an outstanding night of greyhound racing, featuring Golden Easter Egg winner Radley Bale, dual Group 1 winner Kilty Lad, multiple country cups winner Enry Walt, and last start Group 2 Warrnambool Cup winner Arsonist.
The finals of the Sandown Cup and Dawson will be run on Thursday 26 May at Sandown Park. Entry is free and there will be plenty of entertainment and giveaways to be won, including a $2500 Flight Centre voucher, $1000 in free bets and the chance to meet Richmond star Jack Riewoldt and the Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson.