Bate And McDonald Search For Their Fourth Melbourne Cup
Written By Michael Floyd, Sandown Greyhound Racing Correspondent On Monday 16th November 2009
Sixty four of the nation’s finest greyhounds will battle it out for the richest prize in Australian Greyhound Racing this Thursday night with the heats of the $250,000 Group 1 Solo Melbourne Cup at Sandown Park.
Thursday night’s races feature arguably the finest array of canine talent ever assembled for a Group race series.
The combined winners of 976 races and over $5.6m in prizemoney, the fields feature 20 greyhounds that have tasted Group race success (eight at Group 1 level), and hold a total of 41 Group race titles (12 at Group 1).
Lara legend Graeme Bate heads the nominations with eight runners as he seeks an unprecedented fourth Solo Melbourne Cup title. Bate has prepared over 20 Cup finalists since Star Lazer made the 1983 final, and is well placed to add to that remarkable record with last start Group 3 Macro Meats Shootout winner Velocette, Dentax Bale, My Lippling, Hayder Bale, Gripen Bale, Turanza Bale, Bora Bale and Dyna Forte set to take their place in the heats.
Darren McDonald will also be vying for Solo Melbourne Cup number four with six runners from his Devon Meadows kennel. McDonald has won three of the past five Solo Melbourne Cups – including the past two with Shanlyn Prince and Surgeon.
Cindeen Shelby is looking to create history with a fourth consecutive Group 1 victory, however she will have to be at her very best to reach the final after drawing box six in her heat.
Several interstate greyhounds will make the journey to the Lightwood Road circuit, including Queen Lauryn, Take The Kitty, Arthur Ritis, Dashing Corsair, Topline Doovee, Repeated, Edie Action, Bogie Bomber, Robo Raptor, Silk Moon, Digital Magic, Joanne Monelli and Accounts looking to upstage the locals.
Due to a lower than expected number of nomination, the final of the $36,000 Group 2 Bold Trease Carnival Cup for the stayers will be run this Thursday night. Amity Bale, a winner of six group races since July, is likely to start a warm favourite from box 5, however she is sure to be tested by exciting youngster Drill ‘Em and rising star Next Top Model.
Interestingly, Amity Bale finished sixth in the 2008 Solo Melbourne Cup over the shorter trip.
TAB Sportsbet will be offering Fixed Odds Betting on all Solo Melbourne Cup heats. The winner of each heat will contest the final on Thursday 26 November. The boxdraw for the final will be conducted at the Melbourne Cup Ball to be held at Sandown Park this Saturday night, and will be available on www.sandowngreyhounds.com.au from 10pm.
For further details and photos, please contact:
Michael Floyd, Racing and Media Manager, on 0409 426 562
Search For All Other Stories & Fields That Mention :
Amity Bale, Arthur Ritis, Bogie Bomber, Bold Trease, Bold Trease Carnival Cup, Bora Bale, Cindeen Shelby, Darren McDonald, Dashing Corsair, Dentax Bale, Digital, Digital Magic, Dyna Forte, Graeme Bate, Gripen Bale, Joanne Monelli, Macro Meats, Melbourne Cup, Queen Lauryn, Repeated, Sandown Club, Shanlyn Prince, Sportsbet, Surgeon, Take The Kitty, Topline Doovee, Turanza Bale, Vee, Velocette
| Print This Story Or Field
Related Articles
It Was Hard To Find A Happier Man Last Night Than Master Trainer Darren McDonaldGraeme Bate will launch a two-pronged attack on a fourth Group 1 Schweppes Melbourne Cup after Velocette and Amity Bale each won their respective heats at Sandown Park tonight. The enigmatic Velocette ($4.90) jumped brilliantly...
Victorian GRV Stewards Brian Williams and Glen Fish have just concluded their Stewards Inquiry in to the positive swab returned by Horsham runner Carlinford Ron trained by Darren McDonald. This positive swab was notable not just because it was a greyhound trained by one of Victoria’s leading greyhound...
Leading trainer Darren McDonald has two top chances engaged in Wednesday nights Fletcher Jones Trophy at Morshead Park. McDonald qualified Held For Ransom and Cold Cold Change for the Grade 5 Final to be run over 450 metres. Held For Ransom has won six of his fifteen race starts, and is from the dam...
Last year’s Australian Trainer of the Year, Jason Thompson, is chasing his third Group 2 Wangaratta Cup (474m) in four years on Friday night. The Pearcedale-based training genius, who won with Oxley Tiger (2005) and See You Later (2006), has El Galo going for glory in the $25,000-to-the-winner final. Runner-up...
Some of the states best young greyhounds will be vying for the honors in the Topcat Ballarat Summer Classic this Wednesday night. The inaugural Classic to be run over 450 metres is restricted to greyhounds whelped on or before 1st January 2007. There will be four heats of the Classic on tonight’s...
Greyhounds Queensland Stewards have released details of Queensland’s fourth Anabolic Steroid positive swab in a greyhound. The swab comes from the Clayton Hook trained greyhound, Telly Blossom, who ruteruned a positive swab to Hydroxystanozolol, at an Albion Park greyhound race on the 10th December...
The fourth positive swab to an Anabolic Steroid in New South Wales has come to light, but this time not just the trainer has been disqualified but also her husband, who has been found guilty of administering a prohibited substance. GHRRA Stewards recently finalised an inquiry into the positive finding...
Queensland and Western Australian Derby winner High Earner will go into next week’s $38,000 Imagetec Gold Coast Cup as favourite after blitzing his field in the Heats last Thursday night. The Christine Robartson-trained dog is leading the market for the Group Two race at 3-1 after the box draw put...
When you’re hot, you’re hot… and the Lara kennel of Graeme Bate is white hot! Hot on the heels of his Group 1 Australian Cup win with Velocette, Bate has qualified three finalists for the Group 2 Westside Tabaret Horsham Cup (480m) on Sunday. Last night, Bate won the first three of five heats...
Iconic 12-time Victorian Trainer of the Year Graeme Bate has a four-pronged attack in the National Sprint Championship state heats (515m) at Sandown Park on Thursday night. The Lara-based doyen’s line-up is Keeko Bale (Heat 1, Box 3), Velocette (Heat 2, Box 3), Turanza Bale (Heat 3, Box 4) and Beware...
Loading ...
Comments
Got something to say?