SA sensation Dashing Slay wins Launching Pad Final by 15-lengths
South Australian star Dashing Slay turned the 2025 Group 3 Launching Pad Final into a one-act affair on Thursday night at Sandown Park, crushing her rivals by more than 14 lengths in a commanding all-the-way win for trainer Kayla Cottrell.
The daughter of Fernando Bale and Dashing Wilma was simply explosive from box two, stopping the clock in a brilliant 29.08 — her second win in as many weeks at the venue and a time that stamped her as one of the most exciting young chasers in the country.
Pre-race favourite at $2.20 odds with the top greyhound bookmakers, Wyong Dallas was caught in a messy tangle with Elite Intention in the run to the first turn, and from there it was all Dashing Slay.
She scorched the sand with a 5.01 early split before careering away to land the $150,000 winner’s cheque, leaving Valenzuela and Doongalla Jessie to fill the minors in a rough finish.
2025 Group 3 Launching Pad Final Replay – Dashing Slay (29.98)
[videopack id=”173865″]https://australianracinggreyhound.com/wpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Sandown-2025-170425-515m-Race-8-Dashing-Slay-29.08-Kayla-Cottrell.mp4[/videopack]
The result backed up her semi-final blitz, where she stopped the clock in 28.95 to announce herself as the greyhound to beat.
It was a huge result for breeder and owner Gavin Harris, who sent the bitch to Victoria to be prepared for the series by the Cottrell kennel.
After going through the Launching Pad unbeaten, her career record now reads 10 starts for 6 wins and over $180,000 in prizemoney.
Post-race, Harris hinted that plans to return the starlet to South Australia might be delayed, with the Group 1 Sapphire Crown in May now firmly on the radar.
There are also whispers of a trip to Queensland for the Flying Amy Classic in June, with Dashing Slay’s blend of early speed and mid-race acceleration making her a serious contender in anything she contests.
She’s just the fourth dog to break 30 seconds at Angle Park and has gone faster than all but one greyhound at Sandown this year, trailing only Flying Zulu on the annual leaderboard. Her emergence also adds further firepower to a stacked crop of rising female sprinters.
On a strong support card, My Boy Bingo took out the Runway Final in 29.48, while Anthony Azzopardi’s Milton Cranberry beat kennelmate Gambella in the Launching Pad Consolation.
But the night belonged to Dashing Slay, who now looks poised for a huge winter campaign.
From a luckless third in the South Australian division to a Group 3 champion, she has arrived in style — and she’s just getting started.
2025 Group 3 Launching Pad Final Results
2025 Launchign Pad Final ResultsSandown Park 515m Group 3 $150,000 to-the-winner Saturday, April 17, 2025
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| 1st |
2 Dashing Slay
T: Kayla CottrellTime: 29.08Margin:
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| 2nd |
3 Valenzuela
T: Jeffrey BrittonTime: 30.12Margin: 15.75 Lengths
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| 3rd |
1 Doongalla Jessie
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| 4th |
4 Shima Stan
T: Thomas DaillyTime: 30.23Margin: 17.25 Lengths
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| 5th |
5 Kiwi Harry
T: Thomas DaillyTime: 30.23Margin: 17.25 Lengths
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6th |
6 Marrakesh
T: Anthony AzzopardiTime: 30.60Margin: 22.75 Lengths
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| 7th |
8 Wyong Dallas
T: Thomas DaillyTime: 30.67Margin: 23.75 Lengths
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| F |
7 Elite Intention
T: Tim O’neill
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