Oze Punting Blog

Sandown

The prestigious Group 1 Sandown Laurels series kicks off next week with an expected 12 heats to be contested on Thursday night. Widely regarded as the pinnacle event for female greyhounds, the Laurels has been won by many top chasers such as Cheltenam Lass (1965), Winifred Bale (1982), Sandi’s Me Mum (1989) and more recently Moonambel Gem (1997), Hail A Harley (2001) and Paua To Burn (2004).

Sandown Park’s Michael Floyd has confirmed that top Queensland trainers Tony Brett and Tony Zammit have made enquiries about trialling greyhounds at Sandown Park in preparation for the Laurels. The series is for females whelped between March 1, 2004 and February 28, 2005 and carries a winner’s cheque of $50,000.

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Explosive beginner IMPISHLEE has won five of her 11 starts to date and she has had four starts over 525m at The Meadows for three wins and a placing. The Andrea Dailly-trained daughter of Brett Lee and Impargo is engaged in a mixed stake over 525m at The Meadows this Saturday night and she should prove hard to beat.

IMPISHLEE won three races in May, two of which were at The Meadows in 30.27 and 30.12 and the other was at Warrnambool in a scintillating 25.25.

The Meadows

SPITFIRE JET returns to Victoria after scoring a smart win at Cannington (WA) recently in 30.66. Trained by Daryl Williams, the black speedster won his first two starts at Sandown Park in March when taking out a maiden heat and final in 30.09 and 30.24.

SPITFIRE JET has won five of his seven career starts and he looks hard to beat at Sandown Park this Thursday night where he’ll line up in a Grade 5 stake over 515 metres against the likes of talented NSW-bred pair CURIOUS LEE and JOSH’S WHISKY.

Statistics from Ballarat for 2006

Percentage of The Watchdog’s first selections that win:

450m - 37.67%
550m - 33.33%
650m - 37.50%

Percentage of TAB favourites that win:

No. of favourites that win - 43.79%
No. of 2nd favourites that win - 20.43%
No. of 3rd favourites that win - 15.32%
No. with longest odds that win - 1.45%

Position of winners at first section:

Winners leading at first section - 52.94%
Winners positioned 2nd at first section - 20.95%
Winners positioned 3rd at first section - 13.60%
Winners positioned 4th or worse at first section - 12.51%