The ‘world's greatest greyhound race' looms as a sensational ‘Sandown Showdown'. This will be a race for the ages!
Yes, the stage is set for a classic $630,000 Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup final (515m) next Friday night.
But who wins the sport's ‘Holy Grail' is the $435,000 question: will it be Simon Told Helen, Shima Shine, Tiggerlong Tonk, Hard Style Rico or Tommy Shelby?
Amazingly, less than two lengths separated the ‘fab five' on heat winning times.
Ultimate professional Tiggerlong Tonk is at the top of his game.
Prepared by Correy Grenfell, Tiggerlong Tonk posted the fastest heat win – a sizzling 29.16sec in Heat 4. He's now won 10 races from 22 starts over Sandown's 515m sprint trip.
Tiggerlong Tonk, winner of last week's G3 Shootout (515m) at Sandown in a race record (29.03sec), rocketed out of the boxes to secure his 32nd win from 60 starts – including 11 of his past 17.
"At the start of the year we thought the timing of this race was when Tiggerlong Tonk was going to be in his prime. So to have him fit and healthy and running the times he is now is huge," Grenfell said after the win.
Winner of the G2 Horsham Cup (485m), Tiggerlong Tonk ($1.90F) defeated the fast finishing Arizona Eyes ($8.70) by 1.7L, with Immunity ($5.80) a further 0.35L away third.
Star speedster Hard Style Rico, now a five-time G1 finalist, did it in style in Heat 7.
Prepared by Luckie Karabitsakos, Hard Style Rico – who recently defeated Simon Told Helen in the G3 Silver Bullet (525m) at The Meadows – clocked a slashing 29.17sec.
Hard Style Rico ($1.90F) defeated Gladioli Bale ($24.20) by 2.4L, with Mepunga Maggie ($8.90) a further 2L away third.
The G2 Shepparton Cup (450m) winner notched his 20th win from 39 starts – including five of his past nine. He remains undefeated in four starts from Box 8.
Superstar Shima Shine – who was $5.50 pre-post favourite for the Melbourne Cup prior to the heats – was scintillating in Heat 1.
The G1 Topgun (525m) winner at The Meadows and dual track record holder produced a 29.19sec display of unadulterated speed.
Trained by Andrea Dailly, Shima Shine ($1.30F) led from go to whoa defeating Knicks Bale ($15.10) by 6.3L, with Super Zoom Jake ($21.00) a further 1.5L away third.
Shima Shine was a reserve for last year's Melbourne Cup and now gets a crack at the sport's ‘Holy Grail'.
Runner-up to Tiggerlong Tonk in last week's G3 Shootout, Shima Shine registered his 26th win from 42 starts – including eight of his past 11.
WA wonder Tommy Shelby, under the caretaker trainership of Kel Greenough, was absolutely brilliant in Heat 6.
The real Tommy Shelby ($3.70) turned up accounting for Short Pork ($11.80) by 1.7L, with Weblec Jet ($15.50) a further 3.6L away third in a flying 29.21sec.
Runner-up in the G1 Vic Peters Classic (520m) at Wentworth Park and a G1 Topgun finalist, Tommy Shelby has now won 21 races from 31 starts and is undefeated in five starts from Box 3.
He's named after a lead character in the popular Netflix series, Peaky Blinders.
And his owners are donating five per cent of any prizemoney he earns during the month of November (i.e. 10 per cent of the owner's share) to Movember, which creates awareness about men's health issues.
Australia's No. 1 sprinter and reigning Australian Greyhound of the Year Simon Told Helen was simply sensational in Heat 5.
Trained by David Burnett, Simon Told Helen was only moderately away but didn't take long to adopt his customary catch-me-if-you-can tactics. The four-time G1 winner's mid-race acceleration was spellbinding!