By MICHAEL FLOYD
GREYHOUND trainer Jason Thompson’s exciting chaser El Brooklyn will start the favourite for the group 1 Macro Meats Sapphire Crown at Sandown Park this Thursday night.
El Brooklyn, trained by Pearcedale-based Thompson, took out her heat in a scintillating 29.35 seconds at Sandown Park on Thursday night to set up the appearance.
The daughter of Thompson’s former champion El Galo began like a rocket from box 5 and led all the way to defeat Carol Allen by three and three-quarter lengths.
El Brooklyn has now won 12 of her 17 career starts including the group 2 Warrnambool Classic, and a win in this week’s final would take her career earnings beyond $160,000.
But the striking white and blue greyhound will have to be on her best form after drawing box 6 for the final.
Peggy May gives Thompson a two-pronged attack in his search for his first Macro Meats Sapphire Crown, however his Bendigo Cup winner was upstaged by former Victorian It’s A Blur in 29.44 seconds.
Now in the care of NSW-based mentor Mark Azzopardi, It’s A Blur began only fairly but held her position on the rail through the first turn, allowing her to unleash a devastating burst off the back straight to race away to a 2? length win.
Brenna Bale joins Carol Allen as Graeme Bate’s dual representatives in Australia’s richest female only series after winning her heat by five lengths over Dream Rattler in 29.49 seconds.
The Macro Meats Sapphire Crown is one of the few feature races on the Victorian calendar Bate is yet to win, and his chances were dealt a blow when his runners drew boxes 4 and 7.
Dons Miss won the night’s opening heat over Witch’s Potion by four and a quarter lengths in 29.53 seconds.
The final of the Group 1 Macro Meats Sapphire Crown will be run at Sandown Park on Thursday . The $105,000 final will form part of an outstanding night of greyhound racing, which also features the final of the $105,000 group 2 Berwick Mazda Harrison-Dawson.
The heats of the group 1 RSN Sandown Cup – Australia’s richest race for stayers – will also be run on the night with WA superstar Miata the highlight.
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