The Sportsbet Sandown Cup Carnival kicks off this Thursday night with heats of the female greyhound only Sapphire Crown and male greyhound only Harrison-Dawson.
They feature the bulk of Victoria's best sprinters, and it is a card that will have purists drooling.
Here are some of the headline acts a part of each heat on Thursday night.
Race 2, Sapphire Crown Heat 1
Natalie Bale (2) won Saturday's Free-For-All at The Meadows which featured Explicit, she races at Sandown Park for the first time. The promising July She Lied (7) features on the big stage for the first time.
Race 3, Sapphire Crown Heat 2
Bebop Jazz (5) looks a standout if she brings her finest but consistency has been a problem for her. Aston Gozo (1) is never out of place in an open race at Sandown Park.
Race 4, Sapphire Crown Heat 3
The powerhouse Gambella (7) enters the series as one of the big guns after a pretty successful Launching pad campaign. Early speed is a strong theme in this heat.
Race 5, Sapphire Crown Heat 4
The story of this race is the clash of heavy hitters. We know the ability and class of Lakeview Emily (1), and we're fully aware of the brutal power of Launching Pad winner Dashing Slay (4).
Race 6, Harrison-Dawson Heat 1
Up-and-comer Wyong Dallas (6) was very impressive through the Launching Pad series but again faces a challenging draw here. Schillaci (2) aims for his first win at Sandown Park since his heat of the Melbourne Cup.
Race 7, Harrison-Dawson Heat 2
'The Big V' Vincent Bale (7) has been enormous as runner-up in the recent Warrnambool and Geelong Cups. Morton (1) returns to Sandown Park for the first time since defeated by Vincent Bale in the Cranbourne Cup last October.
Race 8, Harrison-Dawson Heat 3
Deadly Avenger (4) returns after winning WA's Sandgroper – he trialled at Sandown Park last Friday and set times of 5.06, 18.72 seconds. Tim Zoo (5) is one of the country's most popular sprinters and he's first up after the Sandgroper. Track specialist Bagman (7) is a big player.
Race 9, Harrison-Dawson Heat 4
In The Hub (6) returns to his home track for the first time since a Melbourne Cup Prelude in October. Highly powerful Mepunga Reward (8) drops in distance after a 600-650m stint.
