The 2026 Sale Cup (640 metres) is just around the corner, with some of the country’s leading middle-distance greyhounds preparing to trial and race at the Sale Showgrounds over the coming weeks.
Traditionally held on Boxing Day, the $75,000-to-the-winner Group One event will take place on Saturday, January 3, 2026, with heats scheduled for Sunday, January 28.
Champion sprinter Tim Zoo made an electrifying track debut last Sunday night in a heat of the Distance Championship, finishing just 0.02 of a second shy of the track record. The Jason Thompson-trained superstar, who has won 28 of his 70 starts and earned over $832,000 in stakes, is part-owned by local trainer Ken Bailey.
Tim Zoo will return to contest the final this Sunday, with box six expected to suit him perfectly. Few sights in greyhound racing compare to watching Tim Zoo storm out in front, running slick, record-challenging times. Both Thompson and Bailey are hoping he can put his best paw forward as the Sale Cup becomes the centre of attention.
Last year’s Sale Cup was claimed by Robert Britton-trained Trooper Tears, who delivered an all-the-way victory on Sunday evening. It was Britton’s second Sale Cup triumph following Symmetry’s win in 2010, and the fourth for the Britton family—joining Jeff Britton’s success with Star Recall in 2014 and Alan Britton’s win with Shannen Storm in 1997.
