Baby Jaycee win 2023 Group 1 Sapphire Crown

winning the 2023 1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown beating Magic Muffin. (Photo: Bluestream Pictures)

The -trained Baby Jaycee won the Sapphire Crown last night at Sandown Park winning her first race after finishing second in four of the seven Group 1 or finals she has contested. The win also provided ever popular trainer Bobby Douglas with his second Sapphire Crown title win.

In the Group 1 female feature event, Baby Jaycee, the progeny of Bernardo and Leprechaun Storm, came out on top as a +290 chance with greyhound bookmakers from box six in 29.70, winning by just under length from +260 race favourite Magic Muffin. ‘Country Cups' queen Kelsey Bale finished third.

Last year's Sapphire Crown champion Wow She's Fast finished last tailed off, and maybe staring down retirement after straining a hock and tearing both ‘monkey' (tricep) muscles.

Baby Jaycee's victory was particularly sweet, given that this was her fifth attempt at a Group 1 level race. She had previously fallen just short, settling for second place in the 2023 , 2023 Golden Easter Egg, and 2023 ; as well as being the runner-up in the 2022 Group 2 Sandown Laurels.

The win was a testament to her class and persistence, as reflected in the words of her trainer, Bobby Douglas: “She's a class act and she's been knocking on the door, so I don't think anyone would begrudge her winning.”

The win gives Douglas his second Sapphire Crown victory, his first being with Dashing Eagle way back in 1992; before the race was exclusively for female greyhounds​.

2023 Group 1 Sapphire Crown – Baby Jaycee (29.70) T: Bobby Douglas


The race took a sudden turn when Wow She's Fast, despite leading the pack at the first turn, was checked and eliminated from contention eventually finishing tailed off.

The confusion enabled Baby Jaycee to take the lead and maintain it.

Baby Jaycee is owned by the syndicate and has now had 39 starts for 22 wins and ten placings, amassing $429,273 in career earnings.

The 28kg black bitch comes from the 2021 New Years Day litter of three dogs and three bitches that has so far produced four individual winners. Baby Jaycee is the only black-type performer from the litter, with both the other female greyhounds still maidens.

2023 Group 1 Sapphire Crown


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