Greyhound racing enthusiasts are in for a treat at Sandown Park, where the action unfolds throughout the year with nine standout events you won’t want to overlook. Commencing in March with the exhilarating Launching Pad semi-finals, the racing calendar keeps aficionados engaged until November’s grand finale, the Sportsbet Melbourne Cup, where the spinning wheel offers a staggering chance to claim a $1 million prize.
Undoubtedly the most prestigious race of the year with owners and trainers aspiring to compete for the Holy Grail of greyhound racing – the Sportsbet Melbourne Cup.
The Melbourne Cup of greyhound racing has its origins back in the early 1930s in the non-proprietary days of greyhound racing, but the race was reinvented when the government licensed the sport in the mid-1950s.
The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club conducted its first Melbourne Cup in 1956, when the race was won by Rocketeer.
Since that time, the Club has built the momentum of the race’s importance, forging its place at the top, making it the pinnacle not only in this country, but also globallly.
The history, the tradition, the elation, the pride, the achievement, and the celebration of being connected to the best canine athlete on the planet – that’s winning the Sportsbet Melbourne Cup!
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The 2025 Group 1 Sportsbet Melbourne Cup Winner – Canya Mayhem (Jess Hopkins)
Joshua Formosa gives Repeat The Same a kiss after he won the 2026 Group 3 Launching Pad.
Repeat The Same caused an enormous upset in the 2026 edition of the Launching Pad, with the outsider of the field delivering at odds north of $40.
The Joshua Formosa-trained chaser showed good early pace, and ultimately held off the late challenge from other fancied runners to claim the $150,000 winner’s cheque.
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The Sportsbet Sandown Cup has steadfastly gained a reputation for the world’s premier greyhound distance race (715m). This year’s field featured staying stars from around the country, but it was ultimately Ayden’s Warrior who came up the victor for Jason Thompson.
The 2026 Group 1 Sportsbet Sandown Cup Winner – Ayden’s Warrior (Jason Thompson)
The 2025 Group 3 Shootout Winner – Colac Kid (Jason Sharp)
Despite being the third elect in the elite four-dog field, Colac Kid was a determined winner of the 2025 edition of The Shootout.
The son of Fernando Bale had won the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup the previous month for trainer Jason Sharp, and added this Group 3 Sandown feature to his resume in a slick 29.20.
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Dewana Star was a popular winner of the 2026 edition of the Group 1 Sportsbet Harrison-Dawson. Bred, owned and trained by the Dewan family, Dewana Star claimed his first Group 1 victory just weeks after his previous thrilling Group 2 Warrnambool Cup triumph.
The 2026 Group 1 Sportsbet Harrison Dawson Winner – Dewana Star (Brendan Dewan)
The 2026 Group 1 Sportsbet Sapphire Crown Winner – Secret Bandit (Jason Thompson)
It was a thrilling finish to the 2026 Group 1 Sportsbet Sapphire Crown, with Secret Bandit storming home to finish over the top of Distinction, who had led for most of the race. The pair provided the formidable Jason Thompson kennels with the quinella in the race, with Secret Bandit formerly with Jodie Lord in New South Wales.
Without A Trace continued her dream run in the Dream Chasers Festival, adding the 2025 Group 1 Sportsbet Bold Trease to her Group 1 Topgun Stayers title, which she had attained just a matter of weeks prior. The Peter Presutto-trained stayer ultimately went on to be crowned the 2025/26 GCA Australian Greyhound of the Year.
The 2025 Group 1 Sportsbet Bold Trease Winner – Without A Trace (Peter Presutto)