Proven Group 1 winner Paua To Burn will be the main danger to race favourite Bond in tonight’s Schweppes Melbourne Cup, worth $150,000 to the winner.– Brad Kingsbury
-THERE is an aura of romance and even mystery about the Melbourne Cup in horseracing circles, and that is also true in the world of greyhound racing.
Tonight (Thursday) at Sandown Park the 50th Melbourne Cup for greyhounds, sponsored by Schweppes, will be contested by a top-line field over the 515-metre course with the winner being recognised among the absolute elite in Australian dog racing.
This year’s race is worth $215,000 and is the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club’s showcase event of the year.
Cranbourne trainer Darren McDonald labelled exciting New South Wales dog Bond as the fastest in the land after it set a record time in its recent win in the Lechte Nissan Shootout at the track, and the ‘black flash’ is the pre-post favourite for tonight’s race.
Bond, starting from box two, has won 12 of 18 starts, but is yet to win in the Group 1 race.
Star sprinters Paua To Burn (box six) and Closing Argument (box one) will likely provide Bond with the toughest opposition.
Both have run fast time with bitch Paua To Burn a proven Group 1 performer.
Chances are also given to Go Forever and Fenceline, with Suppression, See You Later and Bonshaw Boy the outsiders of the field.
The other highlight of the big 11-race card will be the running of the $36,000 Group 2 Bold Trease Carnival Cup for stayers, featuring champion distance runner Texas Gold in action.
Off the track, leading greyhound racing sponsor Gary Lechte Nissan will provide a 2005 Nissan Pulsar as the main prize for one lucky on-course patron.
The Melbourne Cup race will be run at 9.45pm, and admission is $5 for adults and $2 for pensioners, with children under 16 accompanied by an adult free.
Tonight’s field: 1. Closing Argument, 2. Bond, 3. Suppression, 4. Fenceline, 5. See You Later, 6. Paua To Burn, 7. Bonshaw Boy, 8. Go Forever, first reserve Zaar, second reserve Regal Brett.
