Armchair Guide To A Bumper Friday Night's Racing

WHAT a blockbuster Friday night of greyhound racing action we have before us.

At Sandown, the appearance of Tornado Tears defending his Group 1 Sandown Cup (715m) crown is the highlight, accompanied by the Group 1 Harrison-Dawson (515m) for the boys and Group 1 Sapphire Crown (515m) for girls.

Read what Rob Britton has to say about Tornado Tears' Sandown Cup hopes

More on that spectacular card of racing soon.

In NSW, the Richmond Race Club showcase one of their premier nights of racing, with the feature event the $40,000 to-the-winner Ladbrokes-powered Richmond Riches Final (535m).

For graduates of the 2017 Auction, where for the first time the tier one ticketing scheme was introduced, allowing owners' to purchase direct access to the series, the final field is headlined by Ray Smith's Group 3 New Sensation winner Feral Franky.

A slashing 30.50 semi-final winner last Friday, the classy son of Collision holds all the aces for tonight's final from box three, quoted early doors at $1.65, ahead of My Bro's Ethics sitting up in box one at around the $4.00 mark.

Knighthood, drawn in box five, has finished runner-up at his two career starts in the series behind Feral Franky, and has been installed third favourite at $6.00.

With Feral Franky's litter brother Freaky Franky also making the Riches final, it looms as a huge night for the gun litter out of Solar Pak, with fellow siblings Good Odds Meghan ($2.80) and Good Odds Buddy ($2.50) solid favourites' for the Wagga Gold Cup for their trainer Frank Hurst.

While Tornado Tears is the major drawcard at Sandown tonight chasing back-to-back Sandown Cup titles, the contest between Orson Allen and Flynn in the Group 1 Harrison-Dawson promises to be another spectacular clash, following their absorbing heat battle last Thursday in sizzling time.

In the Group 1 Sapphire Crown, scorching heat winner Neo Cleo is favourite for Rob Britton from box six, the daughter of Cosmic Rumble eyeing another victory at Group 1 level after annexing last year's Sale Cup.

In betting, her stiffest opponent is Norm McCullagh's flying sprinter Crimson Vixen, quoted a $3.80 chance from box four.

We caught up with Norm McCullagh about Crimson Vixen's Sapphire Crown claims

RICHMOND PREVIEW

Click here for tonight's Richmond form

Race 2 Number 1: INVERSION

INVERSION looks mighty hard to beat in the second event from box one. Granted he's still a maiden after 10 starts, but the brother of Feral Franky looks ideally suited by the gun draw and reduced field tonight. Drops back to maiden class after contesting the Richmond Riches in recent weeks so really should be breaking through in this. It might be best though to hold off on any retirement plans, set to go around at about the $1.50 mark, which to be fair, looks his price.

Race 7 Number 3: GALAXY BANNER

While she won't be flash odds (around $1.90), look for GALAXY BANNER to continue on her winning way for Barry Gibbons in race seven. She's been in dashing form winning her past two in good company at Wenty and Bulli and back to Richmond tonight, where she also boasts a top record, should prove hard to beat. The lack of early speed in the race really does look to play into her hands.

Race 8 Number 4: LET IT HAPPEN

Ok, so the favourite Feral Franky all but has a mortgage on the event, but at some value, look for LET IT HAPPEN to run a race at odds. He'll need luck to beat the favourite, but his run last week to qualify for tonight was huge and if he happened to step cleanly and the favourite puts a foot wrong, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that the hugely talented son of Let It Develop takes home the Richmond Riches for his breeder/owner and trainer Peter Spiteri. Early markets see him a $14.00 chance and at that quote is well worth throwing into the mix – the talent's there, that's for sure.

SANDOWN PREVIEW

Click here for tonight's Sandown Park form

Race 7 Number 4: KANZAN

Our first tip on a huge night of racing at Sandown is the talented KANZAN in the Cup Night Stayers – race seven. Expect her to be brought on for two recent local runs under the care of her top Victorian trainer Terry Reid and if she runs around the 42.01 she posted finishing third in her Sandown Cup heat last week, she'll prove hard to beat. We are getting around the $5.00 mark early on to find out, and considering she went around shorter than that in her Group 1 heat last week, the big striding daughter of Dyna Double One is well worth a ticket.

Race 9 Number 1: DAM SLIPPERY

TALENTED Queenslander DAM SLIPPERY looks one of the better bets of the program in race nine sitting up in the cherry. The Group race winner wasn't disgraced when third behind a scorching Neo Cleo in a Sapphire Crown heat last week from box six, she's got speed to burn and will be better for last week's hit-out at the circuit. She gets all the favours from the red and really does have a class edge on her opposition. Quoted early doors around $1.75, for multi players and the like, looks a fair price.

Race 10 Number 8: DYNA PATTY

No prizes for the third of our tips, Australian and Warrnambool Cup winner DYNA PATTY. As they say, class is permanent and form is temporary, and we'll be hoping that's the case because she was awful when well beaten as a red hot favourite in her Sapphire Crown heat last week. Don't mind the wide draw back up to the 595m tonight, should be too classy for this field tonight at around the $1.50 mark which does appear generous if you can secure it.

RATINGS ROUND-UP

Sandown Park

Race 1 Number 2 Eight Ball                      
Our Price: $2.10                  On Offer $2.60

Race 9 Number 1 Dam Slippery                 
Our Price: $1.40                  On Offer $1.75

Race 11 Number 8 Dyna Oscar                  
Our Price: $2.20                  On Offer $3.00

Race 12 Number 1 Zipping Dodge              
Our Price: $2.40                  On Offer $4.50

Richmond

Race 5 Number 3 Armatree Kaycee            
Our Price: $3.00                  On Offer $4.00

Race 6 Number 1 Third Vintage                 
Our Price: $6.50                  On Offer $9.50

Race 9 Number 1 Jayda Rose                    
Our Price: $3.40                  On Offer $5.50

Wagga

Race 4 Number 8 Dana Queen                   
Our Price: $3.20                  On Offer $4.00

Race 6 Number 6 Show Business               
Our Price: $3.80                  On Offer $4.80

Race 7 Number 4 Shady Flash                   
Our Price: $2.60                  On Offer $3.50

Race 10 Number 8 Spirit Of Arlene            
Our Price: $1.70                  On Offer $3.30