3 minute read

Fields are out for heats of the Victorian sector of the National Sprint and Distance Championships at Sandown Park this Thursday night.

As we expected, they are full to the brim with quality.

The Distance heats will kick things off in Race 3 which features budding star stayer Ella's Babe. Fans scanning the field will be shocked to see high profile sprinter Big Energy lining up, it'll be his first crack at '700' metres after just two tries over '600' in a heat and final of the McKenna earlier this month.

With three heats of the Distance series the top two from each will progress to next week's final, as well as the two fastest thirds.

They'll set the perfect scene for the Sprint heats which start at Race 6. With five of them, the winners and three fastest runner-ups will progress to the final.

The depth of them is brilliant. Last Thursday's Free-For-All winner Mepunga Smokey has again drawn wide in the opening heat and his assignment isn't much easier than last week's.

As greyhound racing fans we're lucky to get Christmas many times a year and this card on Thursday night is one of those occasions. The meeting kicks off at 6.14pm with the first heat at 6.57pm.

The Nationals is made up of a Sprint and Distance division, with series of each run in every state in Australia to determine their representatives in the Group 1 National finals at Angle Park on Saturday August 24.