Ricky Leonard and Matt Lanigan have teamed up to share their thoughts on this exciting meeting- lets see what they can find for the punters!
With all the excitement around today’s meeting at Sandown, we have decided to go a little deeper and have both of our greyhound analysts give their thoughts on the ultra-exciting “Speed Star Super Sunday”.
The Series
The Speed Star ‘Super Sunday’ will be run on Sunday 10 September and will see 48 greyhounds contest 24 match races with $150,000 up for grabs. Six events consisting of four, two dog match races will be run over all three racing distances – 24 match races in all. The winner of each match race will receive a winners cheque and the fastest 3 times from each event will receive an additional bonus payment. Some of the best dogs in the land are here to contest the $150,000 series and the match race format significantly alters the chances of so many dogs.
Event 1. Galactic Diamond (595m)
Both of us are going with Reefton Treasure in the opener. This is a superstar dog that generally gets back in races but winds up late. We think that without having to navigate through a field, he will sit in behind the very smart Cardamom and finish strongly over the top.
Matt- Reefton Treasure
Ricky- Reefton Treasure
Event 2. Tab.com.au (515m)
This seems a tough affair to weigh up because quite a few of these dogs will get a start as a result of qualifying trails and these trial meetings all had significantly differing weather and track conditions. Matt is going with the fastest qualifier Thirty Talks who is a Superstar Queensland Group 1 winner on the comeback trail after significant injury. If he brings his best form then he will win but I still have queries about whether or not he is back to that form just yet. I am not discounting his chances at all, he is a clear second pick for me but I am leaning towards Myrniong Corner. He had horrendous conditions for his trial and I believe if he can step out clean enough then his mid-race pace will have him running serious time. As a disclaimer: Matt and I also hope he runs fast enough for his connections to give him Tuesday off at Horsham because we both have dogs in the same race and his non-attendance will be our good fortune 🙂
Matt- Thirty Talks
Ricky- Myrniong Corner
Event 3. Speedstar (515m)
This is where it gets interesting, 8 superstars but only one winner. Matt shares the opinion with so many of the industry experts that Bewildering will take out the Speed star in 2017. This dog is the reigning champion, it is so strong late and is superbly suited to the match race format that he deserves to be favourite. I am however, going with the new kid on the block in Mepunga Blazer. He loves being drawn on the inside and runs super time on the lure when he can get to the fence. His late splits are as good (if not better) than any dog in the race and I will be backing him
Matt- Bewildering
Ricky- Mepunga Blazer
Event 4. Momentum Gaining (515m)
Both of us are leaning towards Not Available who only just missed out on being in the main event. This is a very classy dog with a heap of early speed, he should jump to the front and run the hands off the clock
Matt- Not Available
Ricky- Not Available
Event 5. Stayers Challenge
There has never been a dog that seems better suited to the match race format than Burn One Down. It’s not just the two tipsters here at Punting Stars that will be tipping this excitement machine to win this series- it will be every tipster on the planet. He will sit on Dundee Calypso’s back for the first half of the race and then break his heart in the second half. We both love this dog and what he brings to distance racing in this country and can’t wait to watch him destroy this match race format
Matt- Burn One Down
Ricky- Burn One Down
Event 6. Young Guns
I wish we had a differing of opinions to make it a little more interesting but we are both keen on the same dog again. Rockoon seems like a star in the making and whilst the qualifying time for this series is nothing to celebrate, he recently went 29:71 at The Meadows in a 9 length victory and you don’t do that without a heap of class. Both of us are really keen on him in the last event
Matt- Rockoon
Ricky- Rockoon