Sprinters Converge On Sandown For 2011 Melbourne Cup Heats
The best sprinters in the country will converge on Sandown Park this Thursday night for the running of the heats of the 2011 Group 1 Solo Melbourne Cup.
The combined winners of 849 races and almost $5million in prizemoney, the 64 greyhounds contesting heats include 19 individual Group race winners, 10 of which have already won at Group 1 level.
The most eagerly anticipated race of the night will be race 6, when two of the most exciting young greyhounds in the country go head to head.
Last start Group 3 Macro Meats Shootout winner and track record holder Bekim Bale has drawn ideally in box eight, while Group 1 Adelaide Cup winner and last start Group 1 Vic Peters runner up Mepunga Nicky will begin from box three.
The winner of each heat will progress to the final of the Solo Melbourne Cup to be run on Thursday 17 November.
The boxdraw for the final will be conducted during Radio Sport National's live broadcast from Sandown Park between 5.30am and 9.00am on Monday 14 November.
The Club is putting on a free cooked breakfast, interviews with trainers of the finalists, expert tips and lots of prizes and giveaways including bets on the Solo Melbourne Cup final and a 10% share (for three months) of the Ray Bartolo trained greyhound Prince Holyfield, one of the favourites for the Group 2 TAB Sportsbet Great Chase series.
Rounding out a sensational card of racing on Thursday night are two heats of the Group 1 Bold Trease Carnival Cup for the stayers, featuring Sandown Cup winner Bobby Boucheau, recent Group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial winner Bling It On, and Sydney raiders Zipping Lad and Slick Lee.
Entry to all meetings at Sandown Park is free. Gates open at 6.00pm with the first race, heat one of the Solo Melbourne Cup, to be run at 7.07pm.
The full Thursday night race card, including all the Meklbourne Cup Heats is here : Greyhound Box Draw For Sandown Park Thursday 10th November 2011