Above: Last Monday’s fastest Cranbourne Cup heat winner Leefull with trainer Peter Dapran from Seymour.By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE Greyhound Racing Club will host the 32nd running of the Cranbourne Cup next Monday night.
It is the club’s first feature race since the opening of its new kennel and administration centre last August and greyhounds will be chasing more than $45,000 in prize money for the series, with the winner taking home $25,000, together with a $500 trophy and a presentation rug.
The strong Andrea Dailly kennel will have two starters in the main race with star chaser and likely favourite Pororoca drawing box one and Ballarat Cup winner Magic Trance starting from box seven.
Recent Brisbane Cup feature race winner Pororoca was upset by Gippsland dog All The Moves in the heats last Monday but, from the favoured inside draw, will be hard to beat in the final.
The Daillys’ runners will be out to repeat the run of 2005 winner Pastrana Bale and make it back-to-back victories for the leading Victorian kennel. The fastest run in the heats was recorded by Seymour greyhound Leefull with a time of 30.28 seconds for the 520-metre course. It will start from box six in the final and be joined by some of the states best performers including Melbourne Cup finalist See You Later and 2004 Cranbourne Cup winner Smack Wallop.
The main race will start at 9.37pm and will be preceded by a cup consolation event at 8.46pm.
The fastest winner of the race was Marsha Brady, which recorded a time of 30.07 in 2000 and experts have predicted that Pororoca could better that time if it jumps well and gets to the rail early.
Twelve favourites have won the cup, with the shortest priced winner being Calamity Kid in 1988 at 4/6, while the longest priced winner was Lightning Boy in 1986 at 20/1.
The night will feature give-aways and family fun with an animal farm, Camp Australia children’s activities and show bags, while there will be betting vouchers and lucky door prizes for adults.
Entry is free, as it is at all Cranbourne greyhound meetings held every Monday night. For more details contact the club on 5996 2393.
