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WARRNAMBOOL speedster Crimson Vixen will head to the Bendigo 425m starting point on Friday night as the punter's elect for the 2019 Triple M Bendigo Cup after a sizzling display of pure speed in her commanding heat victory last Sunday.
After finishing third in her home town Cup in May, the Norm McCullagh-trained sprinter saluted in a heat of the Group 1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown before falling in the final.
After a brief let-up she has scored back-to-back victories at Lord's Raceway to take her career record to 11 wins from 19 starts and five minor placings.
Such was Crimson Vixen's brilliance last weekend she posted sectionals and an overall time some two lengths or more faster than her Cup final rivals.
A repeat of that from box two will see her become the first female to take out the Bendigo Cup since Peggy May did so in the first Cup on the new track in 2012 and collect the $47,000 winners cheque.
While the statistics certainly favour Crimson Vixen, greyhound racing tends to throw curve balls when it comes to these types of races and there are several runners that will pose serious threats to the favourite if she makes a mistake, including local hope Wally Milne.
Boasting a record of four wins and three seconds from seven Bendigo starts and an equally impressive record from box one, the Rod Clark-trained chaser will make his presence felt from the inside alley after a gutsy runner-up effort behind the second favourite Jebrynah, going down by only three-quarters of a length.
Curt Lee has terrific early speed and another smart youngster on the rise, Runnin' Royalty, is ideally drawn in box eight, while the likes of Premier Rumble and Zipping Sassy will be searching for luck from midfield or worse in the early stages.
Friday night's racing action commences at 7.08pm with the Group 2 Bendigo Cup set down to jump at 9.30pm.
* Troy Haley's selections:
Race 1: 8,6,2,1
Race 2: 4,5,6,8
Race 3: 5,7,2,4
Race 4: 4,7,8,6
Race 5: 2,3,4,8
Race 6: 3,6,1,7
Race 7: 3,8, 4,6
Race 8: 2,1,6,3
Race 9: 2,1,4,3
Race 10: 6,8,5,3
Race 11: 1,2,8,6
Race 12: 2,4,8,5
Troy Harley is the Bendigo Greyhound Club manager.
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