The countdown is on to Friday night’s $630,000 Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup Final (515m) at Sandown Park, with the action to be broadcast live on 7two from 7.30pm.
Popular TV show ‘Thrill of the Chase’ will bring you exclusive coverage of greyhound racing’s biggest night of the year as SEN’s Jack Heverin is joined by SEN Track personalities Molly Haines and James Van de Maat in hosting the show.
Following last Friday’s heats, five of the eight TAB Melbourne Cup finalists are genuine crème de la crème sprinters, headlined by Simon Told Helen, who will become just the eighth Australian greyhound to surpass $1 million in prize money if he snares the $435,000 first prize. He has currently earned $760,135 in stakes.
Chasing a remarkable fifth Group 1 victory, Simon Told Helen could present part-owner Dr Simon Crowley and his wife Helen (whom the dog is named after) with the most timely of gifts, as they’ll be celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary on Friday.
Another headline contender is Tommy Shelby, who is aiming to become the first WA greyhound to win the Melbourne Cup in the race’s 65-year history.
Named after a lead character in popular Netflix series Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby is temporarily in the care of leading Victorian trainer, Kelvyn Greenough. His owners Jodie-Louise Harders and Steve Withers have been donating a portion of Tommy Shelby’s prize money to various charities throughout his career and have pledged five per cent (10 per cent of the owners’ share) of any money he wins during November to Movember. Victory on Friday night would equate to a $21,750 donation to the cause, which raises awareness about men’s health issues.
Dual track record holder Shima Shine is aiming to snare a rare Topgun/Melbourne Cup double.
And Tiggerlong Tonk, who was the fastest heat winner in 29.16sec, will be chasing for similar notoriety as he attempts to become one of only a few greyhounds to have won both the Shootout and the Melbourne Cup.
Rounding out the ‘Fab Five’ is Hard Style Rico, who won the G3 Silver Bullet (525m) on the opening night of the Metro Festival of Racing on 2 November at The Meadows. The Shepparton track record holder sizzled in his Melbourne Cup heat, clocking 29.17sec, the second fastest time on the night.
In fact, only 1.5 lengths separated the sublimely talented quintet in terms of their winning Melbourne Cup heat times.
The TAB Melbourne Cup is the culmination of greyhound racing’s inaugural Metro Festival of Racing, with Friday night’s Sandown Park meeting to incorporate seven feature races and $1 million in prize money.
How to follow Friday night’s TAB Melbourne Cup Final:
– Comprehensive coverage from 7.30pm with ‘Thrill of the Chase’ on 7TWO, via The Watchdog app or at watchdog.grv.org.au.
– Behind-the-scenes Twitter coverage with @SandownDogs and @WatchdogRacing from 6pm.
$630,000 G1 TAB Melbourne Cup (515m)
Friday 27 November, 8.10pm (Race 6)
$435,000 (1st); $130,000 (2nd); $35,000 (3rd)
1 ZIPPING SULLIVAN (Deborah Coleman, Lara VIC)
2 SIMON TOLD HELEN (David Burnett, Little River VIC)
3 TOUGH TEARS (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
4 LUCY’S MILO (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
5 HARD STYLE RICO (Luckie Karabitsakos, Pearcedale VIC)
6 TOMMY SHELBY (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
7 SHIMA SHINE (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
8 TIGGERLONG TONK (Correy Grenfell, Mount Wallace VIC)
Reserves
9 ARIZONA EYES (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
10 SHORT PORK (Anthony Azzopardi, Rowsley VIC)
TAB Melbourne Cup Heat winners
(Fastest to slowest)
29.16sec TIGGERLONG TONK
29.17sec HARD STYLE RICO
29.19sec SHIMA SHINE
29.21sec TOMMY SHELBY
29.26sec SIMON TOLD HELEN
29.57sec LUCY’S MILO
29.63sec ZIPPING SULLIVAN
29.70sec TOUGH TEARS
WATCH: Tiggerlong Tonk (4) was the fastest TAB Melbourne Cup heat winner in 29.16sec.