RSN Sandown Cup Timeline
Listed below is the honour roll for the Sandown Cup. The race has been won by many of the champion stayers of the past including AGRA Hall Of Famers Lizrene and Bold Trease. Plus the great stayers of their particular era Fawn Scout, Paul’s Thunder, Corcoran, Raurimu, Boronia Blossom, Tonight’s Wish, Osti’s Joker, Bentley Babe, Arvo’s Junior, Best Quoted, Sargent Major, Mantra Lad, Bobby Boucheau, Irma Bale, Fanta Bale and Tornado Tears.
1957 Orialta, 1959 Woodford Chief, 1961 Plunkett’s Present, 1963 Briar View, 1964 Haleka Jewel, 1965 Venetian Court 1966 Fawn Scout 1967 Charlie Lee 1968 Sprite of Egypt 1969 Local Blend, 1970 Paul’s Thunder, 1971 Paul’s Thunder, 1972 Lizrene, 1973 Lizrene, 1974 Corcoran 1975 Tammy Shanta, 1976 Brindle Norma, 1977 Rani’s Copy, 1978 Kawati Boy, 1979 Miss Tema, 1980 Wynlee Wonder, 1981 Bianca Lee, 1982 Status Supreme, 1983 Lead Role, 1984 Raurimu, 1985 Tashla, 1986 Bold Trease, 1987 Bold Trease, 1988 Bold Trease, 1989 Bold Trease, 1990 Western Creole, 1991 Pixie Eyes, 1992 Village Stomper, 1993 Eliza Dylan, 1994 Top Sovereign, 1995 Keon Star, 1996 Boronia Blossom, 1997 Tonight’s Wish, 1998 Red Mystique, 1999 Smart Attitude, 2000 Osti’s Joker, 2001 Bentley Babe, 2002 Jennev, 2003 Arvo’s Junior, 2004 Proven Lethal, 2005 Best Quoted, 2006 Sargent Major, 2007 “No Race” 2008 Chinatown Lad, 2009 Mantra Lad, 2010 Next Top Model, 2011 Bobby Boucheau, 2012 Irma Bale, 2013 Irma Bale, 2014 Sweet It Is, 2015 Sweet It Is, 2016 Bells Are Ringin, 2017 Fanta Bale, 2018 Tornado Tears, 2019 Rajasthan, 2020 Bronski Beat, 2021 Zipping Rambo, 2022 Untapped.
1963 – The race first run on the grass track over 785 yards. The race was then known as the Woolamai Cup and had been first conducted in 1957 when won by Orialta.
1964 – A sand track is installed at Sandown Park
1971 – Prizemoney increases to $3,000 to the winner. Paul’s Thunder becomes the first greyhound to win two Cups
1973 – Distance reduced to 718 metres. Lizrene claims her second Cup
1979 – Temlee sires the first off, his three consecutive Cup winners
1981 – Prizemoney increases to $12,000 to the winner
1984 – Prizemoney increases to $20,000 to the winner. New Zealander Raurimu wins the Cup.
1986 – Bold Trease claims the first of his four Cups
1987 – Distance reduced to 716 metres
1989 – At five years of age, Bold Trease claims his fourth Cup in emphatic fashion, winning by eight lengths
1990 – Bold Trease narrowly misses the Cup final after emerging from retirement
1993 – Cup given Group 3 status
1995 – Cup upgraded to Group 2 status
1996 – Cup upgraded to Group 1 status. Prizemoney increases to $40,000 to the winner. Distance reduced to 715 metres following reconstruction of Sandown track
1999 – Radio Sport 927 becomes naming rights sponsor. Prizemoney increases to $50,000 to the winner. Smart Attitude wins the race by 9.5 lengths, equalling Lizrene’s race record
2003 – Group 3 Lizrene Classic moved to April as a logical lead in to the Sandown Cup carnival
2004 – Proven Lethal wins in race record time of 42.12 seconds
2005 – Best Quoted holds off the fast-finishing Texas Gold to claim her second group race victory inside a month
2006 – Sargent Major leads all the way to win his first Group 1, he holds off a stout Turbo Uno this followed the shock scratching Texas Gold.
2007 – Sandown Cup controversially declared a ‘No Race’ by stewards after Don Hazzard, the trainer of Sky Hazzard, accidentally released the manual start lever.
2009 – Sandown Cup becomes the richest staying event ever offering a series worth $175,000 and first time winner’s purse of $100,000.
2012 – The SGRC announces an increase to the 2013 Cup series with the race worth a record $177,500 with the winner to receive $125,000 making it the richest staying race in the world. West Australian superstar Miata started the shortest priced favourite in the events history at $1.20 after smashing the track record in her heat. However, after missing the start badly she finished a gallant third to the Graeme Bate trained Irma Bale, his first Sandown Cup winner.
2013 – Irma Bale defended her RSN Sandown Cup when she held off the fast finishing Bell Haven and the gallant Miata in one of the most exciting finishes in the races rich history. The victory saw Irma Bale become the fourth greyhound to win successive RSN Sandown Cups after Paul’s Thunder (1970-71), Lizrene (1972-73) and Bold Trease (1986-89).
2014 – Sweet It Is booked her place in greyhound racing folklore with a dazzling last-to-first win in the 2014 Group 1 RSN Sandown Cup. A quarter of a century after the great Bold Trease claimed his fourth and final Sandown Cup, Sweet It Is turned in a performance that matched any of the Warrnambool Warriors four cup wins. It was an amazing effort form 10 lengths a drift, she gunned down the field in front of her running away to win by a length and half.
2015 – Sweet It Is rewrote the record books at Sandown Park in 2015, defending her RSN Sandown Cup title and becoming the sport’s highest earning greyhound in the process. Lining up in her 18th group final – her 10th at group 1 level – Sweet It Is was sent to the boxes a $5.80 second favourite behind Space Star ($1.30), and it was the latter that began brilliantly to take an early lead. From that point on is was a matter of times and margins. The win improved her record to 18 wins from 58 starts and the $175,000 winner cheque took her prize money to an Australian record $828,515.
2016 – Bells Are Ringin caused one of the biggest upsets in group racing history when she defeated the country’s best stayers in the RSN927 Sandown Cup. Sent to the boxes the 50/1 outsider, Bells Are Ringin began well to cross to the rail and lead the field through the first turn. From there she was never headed, finding the line two lengths clear of Who Dey ($10.20) in 42.02.
2017 – Fanta Bale ($4.60) laid claim to being one of the sport’s greatest ever chasers by registering a breathtaking victory in the 2017 $250,000 RSN Sandown Cup. Fanta Bale and Midnight Elsa made their moves down the back straight but with 150m to go, Fanta Bale still spotted the lamp lighter a four-length margin. But the tenacious little chaser railed brilliantly running for home to surge past the gallant Dundee Osprey and score by half a length in 41.87.
2018 – Tornado Tears showed why he’s was regarded as greyhound racing’s next big thing after prevailing in a thrilling finish to the $250,000 RSN Sandown Cup in 2018. But the well supported favourite – he opened at $26 in early markets before jumping at $2 – was made to earn his victory. Beginning cleanly from box 7, the Robert Britton trained star settled behind kennelmates Benali and Quick Jagger and the trio soon established a gap on their rivals. It set up a spectacular finish to the world’s richest race for stayers. Quick Jagger railed under the tiring Benali to take the lead before being reeled in by Tornado Tears in the shadows of the post as Rippin’ Sam powered down the outside to just miss upstaging his litter brother. The three greyhounds were separated by little more than a length on the line and gave Robert Britton the trifecta. Britton’s fourth runner, Benali, finished 5th.
2019 – Rajasthan caused one of the greatest upsets in the history of the RSN Sandown Cup when the 30/1 chance led all the way to win the world’s richest race for stayers. While all eyes were on defending champion Tornado Tears in box 6, it was Rajasthan in box 7 who began quickest to cross to the fence and lead through the first turn. Poco Dorado followed him across from box 8 and as the rest of the field jostled for position, the pair established a four-length break on their rivals with a lap to run. Down the back straight the moves came. Poco Dorado reduced the margin to less than a length as Peppertide emerged from the chasing pack to also apply pressure. But Rajasthan continued to respond, and when he was able to hold off one final challenge from the fast-finishing Ella Enchanted, the $175,000 first prize was his.
2020 – Bronski Beat ($18.20) won the 2020 Group 1 RSN Sandown Cup (715m) with a stunning all the way performance. The Tasmanian-bred greyhound opened up a huge lead mid-race before being challenged late by True Detective and He Shall Power. It was a watershed win for trainer Brendan Pursell, who is formerly of the Apple Isle. The win continued the Lara trainer’s incredible recent run of long-priced winners, having scored 12 city wins in the past fortnight at an average price of $14.80. Pursell finished third in last year’s Sandown Cup with Peppertide. Bronski Beat, a 25-month-old son of Fernando Bale and Ainsley Bale, was the slowest of the four heat winners last week in 42.07sec. He slashed that time by 3.5 lengths this evening, winning in 41.87sec and scoring by half a length.
2021 – The sensationally-backed distance newcomer Zipping Rambo completed a meteoric rise to staying stardom when winning the Group 1 2021 RSN Sandown Cup (715m).Trained by Mark Delbridge, Zipping Rambo, which was having only the third ‘700’ of his career in the world’s richest staying race, was initially installed as a $12 chance following the box draw but was heavily supported into $4 at box-rise.
2022 – Dustin Drew scored the biggest win of his training career when Untapped led all of the way to win the $262,500 RSN Sandown Cup (715m) at Sandown Park tonight. Untapped ($5.50) timed the start to perfection to cross to the lead from box 7 through the first turn with fastest heat winner Jarick Bale ($5) trailing her through. From there the pair quickly cleared out from the chasing pack, setting up a thrilling two dog battle for the final lap of the 715m journey. Jarick Bale switched to the inside down the back straight and narrowed the margin to a head as they returned past the starting boxes. Untapped wouldn’t allow the dual group 1 winner through however, increasing the margin back out to a length off the back straight and maintaining that margin to the line, saluting in a race record 41.40sec.
RSN Sandown Cup Fact Sheet:
Name: RSN Sandown Cup
Status: Group 1
Distance: 715m
Prizemoney: $71,000 (1st: $50,000 + trophy and rug; 2nd: $14,000, 3rd: $7,000) (2020) Only Prizemoney
First run on Sand: 1964 (known as the Woolamai Cup, won by Briar View)
Race record: 41.48 – Sweet It Is, 2015
Biggest winning margin: 9.5 lengths – (Lizrene 1973, Smart Attitude 1989)
Smallest winning margin: Half head (Top Sovereign 1994, Boronia Blossom 1996)
Multiple Winners: 4 – Bold Trease (1986-89) 2 – Paul’s Thunder (1970-71)
2 – Lizrene (1972-73) 2- Irma Bale (2012-13) 2- Sweet It Is (2014-2015)
Going the distance: 1963 – 785 yards (grass)
1964 – 785 yards (sand)
1973 – 718 metres
1987 – 716 metres
1996 – 715 metres
Battle of the sexes: Males have won 12 of the last 20 Cups. Bitches 6 of the last 9.
When in doubt: Box 1 has provided 6 of the last 26 winners, though none since 2000.