Scene Set For Speed Star Spectacular

SANDOWN plays host to a huge evening of Speed Star racing this Sunday where almost $200,000 in prize money is up for grabs across the five events.

For those new to the racing concept, four x two greyhound match races are staged per event, where the overall race winner is determined by the greyhound that posts the fastest time.

Betting is available on the individual match races themselves, as well as the overall race winner.

For all the fields, form, ratings and speed maps for Sunday's bumper program of racing out of Sandown visit The Greyhound Recorder at the link below.

Sandown Park form, September 15

Racing gets underway at 5.08pm, with Sky Racing 2 providing dedicated Speed Star coverage.

On track the club is offering a cool $10,000 if someone can tip the card, so there's plenty of reason to get trackside for what will be a massive evening of two dog match racing!

Race 1: Speed Star (595 metres)

Plenty of intrigue around the opening event over the 595m where the favourite is heavily backed commodity Spring Bridge for leading Victorian trainer Jason Thompson.

They've been falling out of trees to back him since markets opened which is not surprising after his recent 34.08 trial, on a track that wasn't conducive to fast times.

Built for this racing format, expect he posts some serious time to kick off the night when he matches up against Blue Striker. He's a grand campaigner but fair to say he's a bit off his best at present.

Neo Cleo is a firm $3.50 second favourite and on paper she looks to safely have the measure of Rockstar Prince in her match race, the slight concern with her is whether she's 100 per cent after missing some recent work with injury.

The most interesting of the match races in this first event is between True Detective and talented Queenslander Shorino, both capable of recording sizzling middle distance times.

The market between the two sits at $1.90 take your pick with both $6.00 chances to take out the overall event.

If the winner comes away from the top two in betting, expect it will come from whoever's successful in that match-up.

Match Race 1: Blue Striker ($4.25) v Spring Bridge ($1.20)
Match Race 2: Apex Within ($1.40) v Extreme Justice ($3.00)
Match Race 3: True Detective ($1.90) v Shorino ($1.90)
Match Race 4: Rockstar Prince ($4.40) v Neo Cleo ($1.22)

SELECTION: SPRING BRIDGE

Race 2: Speed Star consolation 1 (515m)

If there's a greyhound built for two dog racing it's Sweet As Emm and no surprise to see her installed favourite for this. She's got a huge motor and is racing in career best form, quoted about $3.80 currently which looks nice value.

Weblec Ace has a 29.40 PB and is a serious race dog but fair to say he's not as suited to this format.

Looking for value, WA star Campini will be all the better for two recent hit-outs at the track while hot young pup Razor's Edge is the x-factor, showing enormous promise in his eight career starts, winning seven of them in blistering times.

He's right in the thick of things at around $5.50 and is sure to have his supporters. Real even race this.

Match Race 1: Kraken Lightning ($4.00) v Sweet As Emm ($1.25)
Match Race 2: Campini ($1.60) v Waging War ($2.30)
Match Race 3: Saint Destructor ($4.60) v Razor's Edge ($1.20)
Match Race 4: Aston Chandon ($2.60) v Weblec Ace ($1.50)

SELECTION: SWEET AS EMM

Race 3: Speed Star (515m)

Main event of the day with some genuine superstars facing the starter.

Each of the four match races look to be fairly lopsided so all the attention here will be on the clock and the eventual winner, primarily between Sennachie, Hooked On Scotch, Got Some Wheels and Feral Franky.

Each hugely talented in their own right, with the number 1 seed Hooked On Scotch a breathtaking winner here in 29.09 on August 18.

He flew around Geelong on Friday night in 25.34, quicker than the best time his former kennel-mate Bewildering posted there, and he won two Speed Stars in sensational fashion.

Sennachie and Feral Franky have battled it out on the big stage twice previously with the leger sitting at one apiece, while Got Some Wheels is flying under the radar, he's capable of running exceptional times and on his day can run just about anything.

Terrific clash – with four hugely talented chasers racing the clock. I'm with Hooked On Scotch … trainer Jason Thompson is yet to get to the bottom of him and expect his freakish ability sees him do something pretty special come Sunday.

Match Race 1: Sennachie ($1.15) v Black Signature ($5.50)
Match Race 2: Cabin Fever ($5.50) v Hooked On Scotch ($1.15)
Match Race 3: Courting ($4.60) v Got Some Wheels ($1.20)
Match Race 4: Lucy's Milo ($4.60) v Feral Franky ($1.20)

SELECTION: HOOKED ON SCOTCH

Race 4: Speed Star consolation 2 (515m)

Rampaging – another trained by Jason Thompson – has been the big mover going up at around $8.00 before being crunched into $3.80.

A very promising pup in the making, Rampaging takes on Steinbrenner in an interesting match up, while favourite for the overall event is Lagoon Rhett at around the $2.50 mark which does seem under the odds.

Great dog, very honest, but runs 29.50 here every time he goes around which may just come up a tad short for this.

My value tip for the night is Go Seek Heidi, another ideally suited to the format.

She runs a strong 595 so she'll be finishing off the 515 powerfully, and she loves Sandown, as evidenced with her cracking second to Neo Cleo in the G1 Sapphire Crown earlier in the year.

At around the $4.00 mark certainly worth a ticket.

Match Race 1: Rampaging ($1.50) v Steinbrenner ($2.60)
Match Race 2: Ashley's Entity ($1.50) v Beatrice ($2.60)
Match Race 3: Cavatron ($2.60) v Go Seek Heidi ($1.50)
Match Race 4: Lagoon Rhett ($1.40) v He's For Me ($3.00)

SELECTION: GO SEEK HEIDI

Race 5: Speed Star Stayers (715m)

Racing fans get to see the great Tornado Tears go through his paces and to land the $20,000 first prize that's all he needs to do it would seem.

$1.09 to take out the race and $1.04 to win his match race, he's got light years on his opponents here and the time he runs is all that's really of interest in an overall race sense.

Chasing a third Speed Star win, the previous two over the 595m, all eyes will be on the clock when the son of Fernando Bale struts his stuff.

In terms of value across the match races, the $2.80 on offer for Sir Jay Jay to defeat Zipping Galon looks reasonable odds.

The pair lined up against each other last start with Zipping Galon beating Sir Jay by about two lengths but in this format I give the latter a decent chance of turning the tables at the nice odds.

Match Race 1: Tornado Tears v Rajasthan
Match Race 2: Angry Trip ($3.30) v She Will Bloom ($1.35)
Match Race 3: Zipping Galon ($1.45) v Sir Jay Jay ($2.80)
Match Race 4: Annie Lava ($4.50) v Blue Shadows ($1.20)

SELECTION: TORNADO TEARS