Keybow has been instilled a $2.40 favourite in Friday night’s TAB Melbourne Cup at Sandown Park after drawing Box 1 at the official box draw at Sandown Park yesterday.

The $600,000 Group 1 is the world’s richest greyhound race and will be run on a Friday for the first time, along with the Group 1 Solo Bold Trease (715m).

“Box 1 is a good box in any race,” trainer Daren McDonald said of Keybow’s draw.

The Devon Meadows trainer is aiming for a record fourth Group 1 Melbourne Cup, and he will enter the race with plenty of confidence based on Keybow’s past two runs, which have produced wins in the Group 3 Silver Bullet at The Meadows and Thursday night’s TAB Melbourne Cup heat.

“In 2004 Hallucinate won the Silver Bullet and Melbourne Cup for me, while Shanlyn Prince won the same two races for me in 2007, so hopefully Keybow will do the same,” McDonald said.

“He’s is in perfect condition and is primed for this race.”

McDonald also has Awesome Project in the final, who is rated a $10.00 chance from Box 4.

Kiwi greyhound Above All (Box 3) is equal second favourite at $4.40 with Dyna Villa (Box 8), who made it seven from seven at Sandown Park when defeating the brilliant My Bro Fabio.

McDonald’s super stayer Sweet It Is rated a $2.10 favourite in the Bold Trease from Box 2, despite running second in her heat.

The official box draw was hosted by Sky Racing’s Mark Duclos and RSN’s James Van de Maat, with representatives of all 16 greyhounds taking it in turns to choose a miniature trophy, each of which contained a box number underneath.
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$600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup (515m)
1 KEYBOW (Darren McDonald, Vic)
2 CHICA DESTACADA (Doreen Drynan, NSW)
3 ABOVE ALL (Robert Britton, Vic)
4 AWESOME PROJECT (Darren McDonald, Vic)
5 COSMIC WISE (Jeff Britton, Vic)
6 STAR RECALL (Jeff Britton, Vic)
7 LUCA NEVEELK (Gerry Kleeven, Vic)
8 DYNA VILLA (Jenny Hunt, Vic)
9 CAWBOURNE WHIP (Anthony Azzopardi, NSW)
10 MY BRO FABIO (Brooke Ennis, Vic)
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$142,000 Solo Bold Trease Carnival Cup (715m)
1 BEKS (Pat Bouchier, Vic)
2 ZIPPING MAGGIE (Peter Dapiran, Vic)
3 SWEET IT IS (Darren McDonald, Vic)
4 SPACE STAR (Rob Britton, Vic)
5 REAP THE BENEFIT (Michael Chilcott, Vic)
6 MYSTIC TWIST (Mark Cauchi, Vic)
7 COULTA ROCK (David Curtain, Vic)
8 BLINKER’S ON (Brooke Ennis, Vic)
9 DYNA KAYLA (Andrea Dailly, Vic)
10 MANILA EXPRESS (Captain Abbott, Vic)

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Related
TAB Melbourne Cup Fixed Odds
Dmac Attack on TAB Melbourne Cup
Solo Bold Trease Fixed Odds
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