Victorian greyhound racing’s inaugural Metropolitan Festival of Racing moves into its third of five massive nights on Thursday when Sandown Park hosts the Group 3 Shootout (515m) at 7.58pm.
A four-dog race boasting a winner-take-all prize of $25,000, the Shootout provides the perfect platform to unofficially establish which greyhound is the fastest in the land.
This year’s field boasts four electrifying greyhounds who are all capable of producing low-flying times – Christo Bale (Box 1), Hard Style Rico (Box 3), Tiggerlong Tonk (Box 5) and Shima Shine (Box 7).
Shima Shine and Hard Style Rico have already made their presence felt during November’s Metro Festival of Racing, winning the G1 TAB Topgun (525m) and G3 RSN Silver Bullet (525m) at The Meadows respectively.
Christo Bale won the 525m G3 Speed Star at The Meadows in September, winning a titanic battle with Catch The Thief (Shootout reserve), while Tiggerlong Tonk has contested more than 10 group finals and boasts a cracking personal best time at Sandown Park of 29.12sec.
The inaugural Metro Festival of Racing incorporates 10 group races run across five nights of racing at The Meadows and Sandown Park during November, with almost $2 million in prize money being distributed.
The Festival will culminate with the world’s greatest greyhound race, the TAB Melbourne Cup (515m) at Sandown Park on Friday 27 November.
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How to follow Thursday night’s Shootout action:
- Watch every race LIVE and FREE on The Watchdog app or at watchdog.grv.org.au.
- Comprehensive Twitter coverage with @SandownDogs and @WatchdogRacing from 6pm.
- Sky Racing, RSN Racing and Sport (927 AM) & SEN Track’s ‘The Lids Fly’ (1593 AM).
2020 Metro Festival of Racing (winners so far)
G1 Hume Cup, The Meadows: LAST HURRAH, Brett Nye (Little River)
G3 RSN Silver Bullet, The Meadows: HARD STYLE RICO, Luckie Karabitsakos (Pearcedale)
G1 TAB Topgun, The Meadows: SHIMA SHINE, Andrea Dailly (Anakie)
G1 TAB Topgun Stayers, The Meadows: TORNADO TEARS, Robert Britton (Lara)
More information
2020 Group 3 Shootout (515m)
Sandown Park Thursday, 7.58pm
1. CHRISTO BALE $4
Trainer: Mark Delbridge, Balliang
Record: 39 starts 16-7-6
Best of Night wins: 8
Prize money: $160,395
Sandown 515m record: 5 starts 3-0-0
Sandown best: 29.21sec (28/5/20)
Feature race wins:
– G2 McKenna Memorial, Sandown (515m)
– G3 Speed Star, The Meadows (525m)
3. HARD STYLE RICO $2.50
Trainer: Luckie Karabitsakos, Pearcedale
Record: 37 starts 19-6-1
Best of Night wins: 19
Prize money: $185,030
Sandown 515m record: 6 starts 2-1-0
Sandown best: 29.31 (2/4/20)
Track records:
Shepparton 24.77sec (450m)
Group wins:
– G2 Shepparton Cup (450m)
– G3 RSN Silver Bullet, The Meadows (525m)
5. TIGGERLONG TONK $8
Trainer: Correy Grenfell, Mount Wallace
Record: 58 starts 30-10-6
Best of Night wins: 14
Prize money: $303,670
Sandown 515m record: 20 starts 8-5-2
Sandown best: 29.12sec (fifth fastest this year) (16/4/20)
Group wins:
– G2 Horsham Cup (485m)
– G3 Easter Gift, Sandown (515m)
7. SHIMA SHINE $2.50
Trainer: Andrea Dailly, Anakie
Record: 40 starts 25-3-4
Best of Night wins: 16
Prize money: $375,693
Sandown 515m record: 10 starts 4-2-1
Sandown best: 28.95sec (Fastest time 2020 & second fastest ever) (23/7/20)
Track records:
Ballarat 24.75sec (450m)
Bendigo 23.35 (425m)
Group wins:
– G1 TAB Topgun, The Meadows (525m)
RESERVES
9. CATCH THE THIEF $7.50
Trainer: Matt Clark, Briagolong
Record: 35 starts 19-8-1
Best of Night wins: 13
Prize money: $165,155
Sandown 515m record: 5 starts 4-1-0
Sandown best: 29.21sec (19/3/20)
Group wins:
– G2 WA Derby, Cannington (520m)
– G3 Warragul St Leger (460m)
10 DR. TUCKER $9.50
Trainer: Bill McMahon, Darriman
Record:13 starts 9-1-1
Best of Night wins: 3
Prize money:$95,405
Sandown 515m record: 1 start 1-0-0
Sandown best: 29.28sec (29/10/20)
Group wins:
– G3 Great Chase, The Meadows (525m)
*TAB odds as at 2.30pm on 10/11/2020
WATCH: Hooked On Scotch (3) overpowers Whiskey Riot (1) in a thrilling 2019 edition of the Shootout.
