Contact

  • Thursday, 27 Oct, 2022,
  • by Peter Quilty

Dream… Dream… Dream!

The inaugural world’s richest $4.1 million Sportsbet Dream Chasers Festival (November 5 – December 17) is already creating visions of grandeur.

Sandown Greyhound Racing Club conducted Melbourne Cup Prelude Series I (515m) on October 13 with Amron Dan (Prelude 1 – 29.50sec), Wharfie (Prelude 2 – 29.55sec) and El Dorado (Prelude 3 – 29.68sec) securing a spot in heats of the Melbourne Cup on November 19.

And Series II, tonight at Sandown Park, is highlighted by four more enthralling preludes comprising a classy compendium of ‘Dream Chasers’.

Their goal is the sport’s ‘Holy Grail’ – the $650,000 to-the-winner Group 1 Sportsbet Melbourne Cup final on November 26.

Below are some particulars on a leading player in each prelude, along with a ‘main danger’, based on expert form analyst The Watchdog’s prognostications:

KYSAIAH (Race 4, Box 1, 7.40pm – Prelude 4) – Trainer: Carly Feltham
Won 17 from 38 – five from 11 at SP (29.33sec PB); Box 1 – 5 starts: 3-1-0
Finalist: G2 Geelong Gold Cup.

NB. Main danger – Jungle Panther (Scratched) (Runner-up: Listed Pink Diamond Rookie Sprinter; Won 7 of past 11).

SELECTIONS: KYSAIAH (B1); JUNGLE PANTHER (B7); VAYDA BALE (B3)

ZARA’S IVAN (Race 5, Box 1, 7.58pm – Prelude 5) – Trainer: Bradley Keel
Won 12 from 44 – two from seven at SP (29.36sec PB); Box 1 – 7 starts: 4-1-2
Winner: Pink Diamond Rookie Sprinter; Dual G1 finalist; Won 9 of past 10.
Main danger – Ride The Thunder (Runner-up: Listed Mick Byrne Memorial; Won 4 of 9).
NB. Baby Jaycee (B5) (Won 9 of past 10).

SELECTIONS: ZARA’S IVAN (B1); RIDE THE THUNDER (B2); NIKOLI BALE (B8)

CLICK HERE  FOR SPORTSBET’S LATEST MARKET

ZIPPY TESLA (Race 6, Box 4, 8.22pm – Prelude 6) – Trainer: Bradley Keel
Won 13 from 46 – three from six at SP (29.36sec PB); Box 4 – 7 starts: 1-3-2
Winner: G1 Silver Chief; Runner-up: G1 Adelaide Cup; Five-time G1 finalist.

Main danger – Lovaz Bale (Won 6 from 20; 29.56sec PB).
NB. Let’s Win Coin (Runner-up: G1 Sapphire Crown).

SELECTIONS: ZIPPY TESLA (B4); LOVAZ BALE (B2); LET’S WIN COIN (B1)

HE’S NO SLOUCH (Race 7, Box 2, 8.40pm – Prelude 7) – Trainer: Peter Craig
Won 12 from 38 – nil from six at SP; Box 2 – 8 starts: 2-1-4
Finalist: G1 Maturity Classic & G2 Bendigo Cup; Winner: Waterloo Cup (coursing); Litter brother of superstar Wow She’s Fast.
Main danger: Devine Empress (Winner: G3 New Sensation; Finalist: G2 Laurels Classic; Won 15 from 21, including 7 of past 8).

SELECTIONS:
HE’S NO SLOUCH (B2); DEVINE EMPRESS (B8); ZIPPING LOPEZ (B6)

WATCH: ZIPPY TESLA (B5) – which was announced on Tuesday night on The Catching Pen as a G1 Topgun finalist – clocks a ‘zippy’ 29.21sec PB at Sandown Park on September 1.

Peter QuiltyPeter Quilty

Peter Quilty

Peter Quilty has more than three decades of experience as assistant editor of Victorian Greyhound Weekly. He was editor of GRV monthly magazine The Adviser (2001-09) and owner/publisher of Australian Greyhound Monthly. He also served on the selection panel for the inaugural GRV ‘Hall of Fame’ inductees and for several years was an adjudicator on the Victorian GOTY. He’s also published greyhound racing yearbooks and wrote the ‘Bold Trease’ video script.

Up Next

Healesville 28 October Abandoned

Friday (28 October) race meeting at Healesville has been abandoned…