Interstate raiders take the lead on WA contenders in The Sandgroper
West Australian dogs are yet to catch up as interstate greyhounds dominate the list of starters for The Sandgroper.
With half the contenders locked in for slots, Greyhounds WA Chief Executive Officer Noel Reilly said just one of the four dogs announced so far was a local but the quality of the competition was outstanding.
“The race is shaping up to be a cracker. It’s exciting to see the slots filling up with great talent already,” Noel said.
“We’re looking forward to having the eyes of the greyhound racing world focused on Cannington for our inaugural $500,000 slot race.”
A standout is New South Wales based She’s a Pearl, who has won almost $1.7million in prize money from 49 race starts. She has chalked up 30 wins and finished in the top three 40 times.
“She’s a Pearl is a champion chaser who is arguably the best dog in the nation. She brings plenty of star power to the race,” Noel said.
The youngest dog on the list is Victa Damian who, at just two years old, has already amassed nearly $170,000 prize money.
“Victa Damian is an exciting young dog from South Australia who could be the next big thing in greyhound racing,” said Noel.
“He’s had 13 races for 11 podium finishes, including nine wins and two thirds.
“He trialled very well at Cannington on Saturday night. It was an exhibition trial and he ran beautifully, which bodes well for his return to WA in April.”
At the other end of the experience range is Fernando Mick, whose career spans 102 races for 72 podium finishes, with 35 in the top spot.
“Fernando Mick is a veteran race dog who is enjoying some of his best form in the late stages of his career,” said Noel.
“His recent Australian Cup win was no fluke and he’ll be a threat in The Sandgroper.”
WA’s Electrified carries local hopes in The Sandgroper
The only local dog so far named for the race is Electrified, bred in Western Australia by Steve Shinners and trained by Jarrahdale-based Krystal Shinners.
His career stats are 30 starts for 28 podium finishes, 19 in first place.
“Electrified is a talented up and comer who is getting better with every run. He heads into this week’s Perth Cup as one of the favourites,” Noel said.
“Even with just these four dogs, we’re looking forward to The Sandgroper being a top class race but we’d love to see a few more WA stars in the running for the largest prize purse in WA greyhound racing history.”
For a full list of slotholders and contenders, go to westerntrilogy.com.au
Susan de Ruyter