A gutsy Meadows debut last weekend has record-breaking provincial speedster Benchester primed to open his city account tonight. After winning 19 of 42 starts in the bush, Junortoun trainer Mark Morrissey finally elected to bring Benchester to town in peak form, with the Shepparton Cup finalist breaking track records at two of his previous three starts. Benchester broke the 385m record at Shepparton (21.42s) on October 26, before adding Horsham’s 410m benchmark (22.66s) to his resume on November 10. “His strength is a worry. It’s pretty hard to do it…
Category: Dogs
Greyhound Racing and Breeding News
Luckie’s life-changing Cup triumph
A greyhound racing dream came true for Luckie Karabitsakos when his brilliant sprinter Hard Style Rico unforgettably smashed the Sandown Park 515m track record in the Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup Final on Friday night. It was a fifth appearance in a Group 1 event for Hard Style Rico, which Pearcedale-based Karabitsakos also bred and owns, with his best previous finish coming when runner-up to Simon Told Helen in the Maturity Classic. While Karabitsakos had to bide his time in the quest for Group 1 glory, it was undoubtedly worth…
Knight of the Realm
Manila Knight became a ‘Sir’ of the staying scene with a brave frontrunning display in tonight’s Group 1 Bold Trease final (715m) at Sandown Park. Trained at Tuerong by Mario Briganti, Manila Knight defeated a star-studded field and took out a $105,000 first prize. Owned by Phillip Smith in Benowa, Qld, Manila Knight (May ’18 Barcia Bale x Angie Rocks) notched his 15th win from 36 starts. His earnings spiralled to $165,020. It was his seventh win in nine starts from Box 8. Manila Knight ($6.70) was stalked twice in…
Hot Weather Alert!
Temperatures are predicted to soar over the weekend, especially in the northern parts of the state. On hot days, please ensure your greyhounds: have ready access to lots of cool drinking water in non-spillable containers; have access to shade at all times when outside; exercise only in the cooler parts of the day; have good air flow through kennel buildings and/or well insulated buildings; only transport in air-conditioned vehicles ensuring internal temperature remains below 300C and monitor your greyhounds regularly. For more information, visit https://greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/hot-weather/#GreyhoundsAndHotWeather
Told of a Melbourne Cup victory
Simon Told Helen will become just the eighth member of greyhound racing’s exclusive million-dollar prize money club with victory in the Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup final. Simon Told Helen boasts $760,135 in career earnings, placing him 12th on the Australian list, and he heads TAB betting at $2.50 to boost that tally by $435,000 on Friday night. It’s the reigning Australian Greyhound of the Year’s second crack at Melbourne Cup glory after he was edged out by eventual winner Whiskey Riot in a heat last year at only his…
Luckie putting everything into Melbourne Cup hopes
Hard Style Rico has taken trainer Luckie Karabitsakos on one hell of a ride and the biggest thrill yet may still be upon him as ‘Rico’ lines up in Friday’s TAB Melbourne Cup final. He’s got a fair list of accomplishments but has met no bigger assignment than the world’s greatest greyhound race. “He has done a fair bit in his career, he’s won a Shepparton Cup, broken a track record and a few sectional records as well, but the feeling of making a Melbourne Cup is very different,” said…
How owners can secure a spot on track
With recent news that greyhound owners are able to return to Victorian racetracks, albeit it in limited numbers, a booking system has been set up for all clubs for owners to secure their spot on course when their greyhounds are running. Bookings for eligible owners to attend race meetings at all venues can be made via the following TryBooking links: BendigoBallaratCranbourneGeelongHealesvilleHorshamSaleSandownSheppartonThe MeadowsWarrnamboolWarragul Booking process: Bookings for eligible owners to attend race meetings at all venues must be via TryBooking. Bookings will open once the fields are released for respective race…
New rules around wearing face masks at Victorian greyhound racetracks
Given the progress made in Victoria in managing COVID-19 and the high levels of compliance observed from greyhound racing participants, now is the time to take a further step towards what the new normal might be. In line with the Victorian Government announcement/s earlier today, where people can maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 metres from another person, face masks are no longer required to be worn OUTSIDE. Where there is pressure to maintain that minimum distance in the outdoor setting, masks will continue to be required on the track.…
Cup heats wrap, box draw reactions & an emotional feature on Matty Field
Another action-packed episode of ‘Thrill of the Chase’ aired this morning on 7TWO as the countdown continues to Friday night’s $630,000 Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup Final. Highlights of the show included: A full wrap of the 2020 TAB Melbourne Cup and Bold Trease heats. First reactions from connections at the TAB Melbourne Cup box draw, conducted live from Sandown Park. Trent Langskaill provides the TAB odds moments after the box draw WATCH: The all-important TAB Melbourne Cup box draw, an emotional feature story on one of greyhound racing’s biggest fans…
Simon Told Helen Cup favourite after box draw
Simon Told Helen emerged the big winner from the TAB Melbourne Cup box draw at Sandown Park this morning.