RSN Sandown Cup Final: Armchair Guide

Wandering Eyes · May 17, 2022

Sandown Park will host three massive Group 1 finals on Thursday night, headlined by the $262,500 RSN Sandown Cup (715m), the world’s premier distance race for greyhounds.

Two same-sex sprint finals – the $152,500 Harrison-Dawson (male greyhounds) and $152,500 Sapphire Crown (female greyhounds) – round out a triple treat of Group 1s.

Click HERE for TAB’s latest RSN Sandown Cup Final market

Balliang trainer Mark Delbridge is hoping Jarick Bale (Box 8) provides him with successive victories in the $175,000 to-the-winner Sandown Cup, having won the event last year with Zipping Rambo.

A two-time Group 1 winner, Jarick Bale was the fastest Sandown Cup qualifier from five heats last Thursday night, registering a sensational 41.288sec – around two lengths off the 41.157sec track record.

KEY TIMES

6:12pm First race
6:34pm GRV Vic Bred Maiden Final (Race 2)
7:31pm G1 Harrison-Dawson Final (Race 5; first leg of Quaddie)
7:55pm G1 Sapphire Crown Final featuring Wow She’s Fast (Race 6)
8:13pm Listed Cup Night Stayers (Race 7)
8:34pm G1 RSN Sandown Cup Final (Race 8)
10:01pm Last race (Race 12)

However, TAB’s fixed odds favourite for the Sandown Cup Final is the Jeff Britton-trained Group 1 Fanta Bale Super Stayers winner Mepunga Ruby (Box 2) at $2.60, with Jarick Bale at $4.60 and Geelong 680-metre track record holder Collinda Lady (Box 3) at $4.80.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
– Comprehensive live coverage on Sky Racing, watchdog.grv.org.au and via The Watchdog app.
– Behind the scenes Twitter coverage with ‘@WatchDogRacing’.
– Regular updates with Trent Langskaill on RSN Racing and Sport (927 AM).
– ‘The Lids Fly’ on SEN Track (1593 AM) from 6-10pm.
– Live coverage of the Sandown Cup Final on 3AW’s ‘Nights with Denis Walter’.

Meanwhile, five heats of the Harrison-Dawson and Sapphire Crown were also conducted last Friday night, with Rapaki Rocks (29.244sec) and Levitation (29.055sec) taking respective time honours.

Levitation’s clash with superstar Wow She’s Fast in the Sapphire Crown Final looms as a race for the ages.

POINTS OF INTEREST

HISTORY BOOKS
Formerly known as the Woolamai Cup, the inaugural Sandown Cup was run in 1957, and won by Orialta. In 1963, the event was staged on grass, with victory going to Briar View. In the late 1980s, the Sandown Cup became synonymous with the “Warrnambool Warrior”, Bold Trease, who won the race four years in a row.

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM?
Champion Pearcedale trainer Jason Thompson (Collinda Lady) is chasing a third Sandown Cup, having saluted with Proven Lethal (2004) and Next Top Model (2010).

GROUP 1 QUEEN
Gypsy Wyong (Box 4) is attempting to secure her fifth Group 1 title. Last year, she won the Topgun Stayers and Bold Trease, and this year the Zoom Top and Association Cup.

GREAT BRITTON?
Astute Anakie trainer Jeffrey Britton (Mepunga Ruby) finished third with Tyler Durden in last year’s Sandown Cup. He was also runner-up with True Detective in 2020.

GIRL POWER
Six females are finalists – Mepunga Ruby (Box 2), Collinda Lady (Box 3), Gypsy Wyong (Box 4), Aston Velvet (Box 5), Golden Quest (Box 6) and Untapped (Box 7). Since 2010, seven of the past 12 Sandown Cup winners have been of the fairer sex.

ROUGH RESULTS
Only three favourites have saluted in the past decade – Bobby Boucheau in 2011 ($3.70), Sweet It Is in 2014 ($1.90) and Tornado Tears in 2018 ($2).

TIMES AND MARGINS
The race record (41.490sec) was set by dual Sandown Cup winner Sweet It Is in 2015.

Group 1 RSN SANDOWN CUP FINAL (715m)
Sandown Park Race 8, Thursday 8:34pm
First prize $175,000
1 ORCA (Steve Nagy, Traralgon VIC)
2 MEPUNGA RUBY (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)
3 COLLINDA LADY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
4 GYPSY WYONG (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
5 ASTON VELVET (Michelle Mallia, Avalon VIC)
6 GOLDEN QUEST (Michelle Mallia, Avalon VIC)
7 UNTAPPED (Dustin Drew, Dennington VIC)
8 JARICK BALE (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC)
Reserves
9 COLLINDA PATTY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
10 ROHAN BALE (Rebecca Gibbons, Avalon VIC)

RSN SANDOWN CUP HEAT WINNERS
Thursday 12 May
(fastest to slowest)

41.29sec Jarick Bale
41.37sec Untapped
41.56sec Collinda Lady
41.58sec Aston Velvet
41.65sec Orca

RECENT SANDOWN CUP WINNERS

2012 Irma Bale (Graeme Bate, Avalon VIC)
2013 Irma Bale (Graeme Bate, Avalon VIC)
2014 Sweet It Is (Darren McDonald, Devon Meadows VIC)
2015 Sweet It Is (Braden Finn, Devon Meadows VIC)
2016 Bells Are Ringin (Gerry O’Keefe, Neerim Junction VIC)
2017 Fanta Bale (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
2018 Tornado Tears (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
2019 Rajasthan (Robert Camilleri, Lara VIC)
2020 Bronski Beat (Brendan Pursell, Lara VIC)
2021 Zipping Rambo (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC)

Zipping Rambo with Mark and Lisa Delbridge and the RSN Sandown Cup trophy.

Group 1 HARRISON-DAWSON FINAL (515m)
Sandown Park Race 5, Thursday 7:31pm
First prize $100,000
1 FEARLESS MAX (Harley Whelan, Metung VIC)
2 RAPAKI ROCKS (Mario Briganti, Devon Meadows VIC)
3 TITAN BLAZER (Rebecca Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
4 KINSON BALE (Samantha Grenfell, Anakie VIC)
5 KING OF CALYPSO (Tim Britton, Lara VIC)
6 NIKOLI BALE (Samantha Grenfell, Anakie VIC)
7 HERE COMES PIE (Des Douch, Maffra VIC)
8 BANG (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)
Reserves
9 EQUALIZER (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
10 OLD NEWS (Brooke Ennis, Lara VIC)

Click HERE for TAB’s latest Harrison-Dawson Final market

Group 1 SAPPHIRE CROWN FINAL (515m)
Sandown Park Race 6, Thursday 7:55pm
First prize $100,000
1 VAYDA BALE (Samantha Grenfell, Anakie VIC)
2 IDOLIZE (Peter Presutto, Devon Meadows VIC)
3 LET’S WIN COIN (Jessica Sharp, Avalon VIC)
4 DEVEL SIXTEEN (Jessica Sharp, Avalon VIC)
5 WOW SHE’S FAST (Jackie Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
6 AUSPICIOUS QUEEN (Paul Abela, Parwan VIC)
7 LEVITATION (Jackie Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
8 IMMUNITY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
Reserves
9 SAMONA (Josh Priest, Park Ridge South QLD)
10 WESTAR AILEEN (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)