The action on Saturday night at Sandown Park was absolutely breathtaking and there was no better performance than that of Sunset Frazier – in my opinion one of the best runs we’ve ever seen.

He didn’t just win his Sportsbet Melbourne Cup heat and make his way through to the final, he proved he’s capable of way more than we all thought. He became the 14th greyhound to break 29 seconds at Sandown Park. No longer considered just a speedy type who wants to get to the fence and just hold on. This is a new level.

He broke Fernando Bale’s long standing (2015) second split record of 18.36, with an unfathomable 18.35. To put that into context, the next fastest this year has come in the past two weeks – Explicit on Saturday 18.48 then 18.49 for both Mepunga Tully and Big Energy the week prior. To put over two lengths on them to that beam is simply wild.

While atmospheric conditions were fast on the night the other machines ran up to exactly what we expect from them at their best. From an analytical point of view Frazier gave them a belting.

Visit our Race Data page for sectional times and speeds for all Sportsbet Melbourne Cup and Bold Trease heats

The acceleration phase, 20-50m
1.72 – Sunset Frazier
1.73 – Excavation, Stormy Day and Hotel Whisky One
1.74 – Epitomize and Explicit

Meeting average, 1.78

He went again, 50-100m
2.55 – Sunset Frazier
2.56 – Explicit and Hotel Whisky One
2.57 – Excavation, Epitomize and Stormy Day
2.59 – Miss Envy

Meeting average, 2.66

Now for what I think is the most impressive of the lot. A tenth of a second doesn’t sound like heaps, but it’s almost two lengths through a small section of the track.

Through the turn, 100-200m
5.09 – Sunset Frazier
5.19 – Schillaci
5.20 – Excavation and Miss Envy
5.21 – Epitomize and Stormy Day

Meeting average, 5.40 (interference for many runners must be considered)

His last big blow landed down the back straight when the powerhouses were turning the key.

The back stretch, 200-300m
5.19 – Sunset Frazier
5.23 – Zipping Hopkins
5.24 – Hector Fawley and Big Energy
5.25 – Transcendent, Tim Zoo and Schillaci

Meeting average, 5.34

Can he back it up in the final? It’s never easy for any athlete to back up something like that.

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A young James Van de Maat calls Fernando Bale’s (5) 18.36 second split

Sunset Frazier (1) lets rip in his Sportsbet Melbourne Cup heat – Excavation (8) runs 29.06 as runner-up and Hector Fawley (2) 29.17 in 3rd, which is very difficult to comprehend.