Embye All Set For Sandown Cup Tilt

Injury curtailed Embye's first Victorian campaign with the son of Keybow withdrawn from the Lizrene Speed Star series at Sandown Park on May 5 with a pelvic muscle strain.

The Group 3 match race series over 715m was secured by Dyna Chancer in a cracking 41.57 and, ironically, Embye clashes with Dyna Chancer, a finalist in the 2018 Sandown Cup, in the fourth – and final heat – of the Group 1 RSN Sandown Cup (715m) on Thursday night.

The son of Keybow has drawn nicely in box two and trainer Ruth Matic is confident the long striding dog will run a great race.

"The first notification I received was that he'd drawn box two in race eight which was terrific but then I saw the depth and quality we face in opposition just on an hour later!" Matic mused.

Embye was only just over two years of age when he first stepped up to a middle distance and his near record 33.04 effort over the 590m at Bulli in December heralded an imminent ‘true stayer' campaign.

"Early on he had a shin soreness problem which just would not go away," Matic added.

"We always thought he'd get over a bit of ground but the pain any dog must endure through the tibia can't be ignored.

"Since missing the Lizrene, he's had a lot of galloping at home and on Friday morning he went just super at Bulli. He's 100 per cent now and will be fitter in seven days time – should we make it – to the big final."

And the quality of opposition Embye faces is daunting.

Ella Enchanted (box three) finished second to Neo Cleo in the Racecallers Speed Star series (595m) on May 5 before a spectacular Meadows 600m success on Saturday. She makes her 715m debut on Thursday.

Wentworth Park star Poco Dorado (30 career wins) is drawn in box four, while Dyna Chancer (26 wins and $220,921) exits box six.

Earlier heats include the likes of Tornado Tears and Two Times Twice (both heat one, race five), heat two (race six) has Double Gee exiting box one, Association Cup winner Veloce Nero has drawn box four while Victorians Rajasthan and Peppertide are in the mix also.

Heat three ‘heavy weights' include Queenslander Bago Bye Bye (17 wins from 27 starts), Group 1 Super Stayers hero Blue Moon Rising (20 wins) and Kanzan sitting up in box one.

Offering $175,000 to the winner, the Sandown Cup is the richest race for stayers in the world and it will take a world class effort to snare the riches on May 24.

Can Tornado Tears defend his Sandown Cup crown? Betting would suggest so, installed $1.70 for Thursday week's finale.