The 2023 $4.1m Sportsbet Dream Chasers Festival is the world’s richest greyhound series.
And the 2023 $1.008m Group 1 Sportsbet Melbourne Cup – carrying a $650,000 first prize on December 2 – is the world’s greatest greyhound race.
So, naturally, you would expect the Melbourne Cup heats (515m) – Night 3 of the DCF’s five massive nights of elite greyhound racing and entertainment – to be possibly the best quality night of racing in the world.
Well, ponder the following facts and figures as 64 of Australia’s premier sprinters go “marching as one on the road to the holy grail”.
Yes, “it’s one hell of a story”!
On a cumulative basis, the Melbourne Cup aspirants have amassed a staggering 806 wins from 2381 starts (a 34% strike rate) with – get this – $11,596,762 in prizemoney – and 11 Group 1 trophies on the mantelpiece!
Further, Sportsbet’s early betting market is dominated by six superstars.
Amazingly, three are trained by four-time Melbourne Cup winner Jason Thompson – Alpha Zulu ($6), Flying Zulu ($7.50) and Postman Pat ($7.50) – while the other three – Big Energy ($6), Wow She’s Fast ($7.50) and Victa Damian ($9.50) are prepared by ‘Team Greenough’ (Jackie and Kel).
The sextet has a combined total of 148 starts for 91 wins (a 61% strike rate) with $3,410,160 in prizemoney. They have also won four G1s between them.
Quite simply, the Melbourne Cup heats are ‘Fields of Dreams’!
Meanwhile, four heats of the Group 1 Sportsbet Bold Trease (715m) for the staying supremos will also be decided on the program.
Some of the major players ultimately chasing a $105,000 first prize are locals Moraine Suzie (reigning Victorian Stayer of the Year), Zoha Bale (dual G1 finalist) and Like Wildfire (G1 Topgun Stayers finalist), along with New South Wales star Palawa King (winner G1 National Distance Championship and G1
Queensland Cup) and Queensland staying revelation Icy Eyes (12 wins from 22 starts including past six in succession) who heads Sportsbet’s ‘All In’ market at $4.
Saturday night’s Melbourne Cup heats meeting, and the remainder of the Dream Chasers Festival, will be showcased nationally on free-to-air television on
Racing.com, as well as Foxtel’s channel 529.
