Sensational Field For Superstayers

The Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club has announced the four invitees for the $37,500 Group 3 Fast Times At Stud Superstayers Invitational (710m) to be held this Thursday night at Albion Park.

The selection panel considered performances of greyhounds who competed in the recent Group 1 TAB Gold Cup series and also looked at recent staying performances around Australia, with two locals and two Victorian-based greyhounds making up the final field.

The invitees for the 2019 edition of the event are, in alphabetical order, Bago Bluff (Darren Russell), Bago Bye Bye (Darren Russell), Ella Enchanted (Brooke Ennis) and Tornado Tears (Robert Britton). Joanne Price's Infrared Lad will be the sole reserve for the event.

Together, the four greyhounds have notched 63 wins and accumulated just over $1 million in prizemoney.

The first invitee, Bago Bluff, is the baby of the field with only sixteen starts to his name but he has fast become a top line stayer, knocking off Australia's best stayer Tornado Tears in his heat of the Group 1 TAB Gold Cup two weeks ago.  He backed up that performance with a solid fourth placing behind kennelmate Bago Bye Bye in Thursday's final.  Bago Bluff is one of two greyhounds lining up in the four dog invitational for trainer Darren Russell and owner Greg Watts.

Bago Bye Bye is the second invitee for Russell and Watts.  The son of Barcia Bale notched his trainer's maiden Group One victory in Thursday's Gold Cup final. He has been a revelation over the staying journey since returning from a stint in New Zealand where he broke the Addington 520m track record and claimed victory in the Group 1 New Zealand Greyhound Cup (520m). Locally, he has been a finalist in the Group 1 Australian Cup (525m) and Group 1 Sandown Cup (715m).

Ella Enchanted is another relative newcomer to the middle distance and staying ranks, having spent most of her career over the sprinting journeys. The Brooke Ennis-trained daughter of Don't Knocka Him has acquitted herself well since being stepped up in trip, making three Group race finals, the highlight being a fast-finishing second to Rajasthan in last month's Sandown Cup. She finished down the track in a heat of the Gold Cup two weeks ago but will be looking to make amends.

The final invitee, Robert Britton's Tornado Tears, is a greyhound that needs no introduction. The son of Fernando Bale has won top line staying events right across the country, setting tracks alight in the process.  A luckless fifth in Thursday's Gold Cup final, Tornado Tears is the defending champion in this event, having scorched around Albion Park in a track-record 41.20 last year to follow up his victory in the 2018 Gold Cup.  He is a four time Group 1 winner, and has been a finalist a further five times at the highest level.

The box draw for the event will take place at Albion Park on Monday afternoon and will be streamed live on the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club Facebook page.

Albion Park will be the place to be on Thursday night with the Group 3 Fast Times at Stud Superstayers Invitational ably supported by five sensational heats of the revamped $375,000 Group 1 Sky Racing Brisbane Cup.  A selection of Australia's best sprinters will be on track competing for a spot in the $250,000-to-the-winner grand finale on Thursday July 4.

The action on Thursday night isn't just limited to the track with live music from The Influence and a ‘Superheroes' night for the patrons on course.

Patrons can come dressed as their favourite Superhero for the chance to win prizes up to $100.  There will be a Superhero jumping castle for the kids, and the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club will shout the bar every time the ‘Superdog' (Number 4) wins a race on the program.