Sapphire Crown A Collins Family Gem

THE Sapphire Crown is a special race for the Collins family.

In 2015, Lamia Bale won the race to give them their first success at the sport's highest level. It was a landmark achievement for the family who years earlier made the move to Victoria to further their ambitions in the sport.

"For my parents especially, to venture over from Adelaide to Melbourne to follow their dreams and hopefully one day win a group 1," said Tammy Collins, daughter of winning trainer Steve Collins.

"Lamia took them there, and to have another chance of winning the Sapphire Crown again just means a lot to us."

Talulah Bale, trained by Steve's wife Heather, will give them that chance on Thursday night when she takes her place in the 2020 edition of what has become one of the premier races on the group race calendar.

The daughter of Xylia Allen – winner of the 2013 Sapphire Crown – caused an upset on Thursday night when she ran down the well supported Nangar Diva and favourite Zipping Zarbo.

Despite her $12.20 starting price, the performance came as little surprise to Collins who has long had a big opinion of the rising three year old, a favourite among the 20 greyhounds they train.

"Ever since she came to our kennels she's just always taken my eye. From trialling through pre-training and then through her first few races where she hadn't had much luck. She actually won her maiden at Warragul over 400m and it was a massive run – I just knew that she had ability and she'd hopefully one day prove to everybody else that she could do.

"It was just great to see her get around the first corner clearly in her heat and take the win."

Talulah Bale is rated the $21 outsider of the field by tab.com.au, with glamour sprinter Black Opium set to start as favourite to take the $50,000 first prize.

Black Opium will be handled in the final by Seona Thompson whom Collins considers one of her best friends, and Seona's daughter Holly to handle Thompson's other Sapphire Crown finalist Aston Silk.

"We've been friends for quite a few years now and she's my rock. But to share this moment with her is something special.

"I was behind the boxes when Aston Dee Bee won the Melbourne Cup and that was a moment that I'll never forget.

"To be part of a group 1 with my parents having a runner and them also having two dogs in the final, it's very special."