By DAVID NAGEL
SANDOWN Park will be rocked to its foundations on Thursday night as Australia’s fastest greyhounds battle it out for the nations’ biggest purse in the $500,000 Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup (515m).
Last year’s edition of the classic attracted a bumper crowd of almost 4500 people and another huge turnout is expected to see if Pearcedale training wizard Jason Thompson can make it back-to-back wins in the cup.
Thompson – who put the polish on last year’s winner Got A Moment – prepares Black Magic Opal, who will start a warm favourite after stopping the clock in a sizzling 29.41 in his heat. Bought for $120,000 by the Black Opal Syndicate, the son of Magic Sprite-Awesome Opal pinged from box six, setting a new first split record and equalling the second split mark before racing away to record his sixth consecutive win.
Black Magic Opal’s biggest threat could come from the only greyhound drawn on his inside, Shifty Sticka, who won his way through to the final with an impressive win in 29.54. Paul Anderton’s pup, the youngest greyhound in the series, has been placed in each of his 19 career starts – winning 11 – and attracted considerable interest from punters when he opened at $31 to win the cup.
Anderton has been involved in the sport for an age, and a win to Shifty Sticka would be his career highlight in his first major final.
The oldest greyhound in the series, Proven Maddy, also won his way through to the final after capitalising on his rails draw to win in 29.43. Trained by Wayne Vassallo and handled by Karen Pitt, Proven Maddy has an impressive record of six wins from 14 starts at the Lightwood Road venue, and can really run some time, with a fastest instalment of 29.14.
Proven Maddy can be a real handful in the kennels, with the calming hands of Pitt the only ones that can settle him down. The son of El Galo-Proven Lilly may have his race won or lost even before the lids fly back on Thursday.
Peter Rocket powered his way into an eighth group final for Keith Hellmuth after winning his heat in 29.43, and will be joined by Robert Britton’s Iona Seven, winner of the opening heat in 29.51.
Kiss Me Ketut backed up his win in last week’s Ready2Race auction final with an impressive Melbourne Cup heat win in 29.57, while Andrea Dailly has two chances to claim a second TAB Melbourne Cup with Hawk Alone (29.49) and Dyna Beth (29.70) securing their berths in the final.
Another highlight on a program that includes four black-type races and over $750,000 in prize-money will the running of the $145,000 Group 1 SOLO Bold Trease for the stayers over 715 metres.
Rob Britton and Anthony Flores would appear to hold the key to the final, with half the runners. The Britton pair of Lucy Wires and Cheetah Zorro will jump from boxes two and three respectively while Hurricane Isaac and Amity Flame will need luck for Flores after drawing the middle boxes.
One in eight people on course will win a $25 Mystery Bet on the Melbourne Cup, while one random lucky person will spin the Sandown Superwheel, which will be carrying 52 prizes totalling $1.3 million including a $500,000 cash prize as well as cars and holiday packages to some of the world’s premier sporting events.
Entry into the Melbourne Cup is free, or for just $60 you can gain exclusive access to ‘The Doghouse’ where you’ll get your first four drinks free and mingle with a host of celebs including James Pattinson, Alex Fevola, Jack Riewoldt, Jaimee Rogers, Bianca Chatfield and Archie Thompson.
