Sandown Park Race 9

Adopt A Hound From Toongabbie Lodge

Stake: $11,004

STARFIRE TEARS (8) is bred to be a staying superstar and she has joined the right kennel to reach her true potential. DESIRED RANGE (2) was desperately unlucky here last week and he can make amends this time around. MEPUNGA LARA (4) has solid claims

Distance: 715m
Class: Grade 5
Track: Good
Weather: Showers
Surface: All Weather

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Desired Range (2) 2321332146
Trainer: Dylan Sharp (Lara)
Prize Money: $38,521
Win / Place: 13% / 65%

2 yo FWN D

Sire: KOBLENZ (AUS)

Dam: VALLETTA MIST (AUS)

Rating

Stats

Career

29: 4-12-3

Track

4: 0-1-1

Season

2: 0-0-0

1st Up

1: 0-1-0

2nd Up

1: 0-0-0

Winning Distances
<400	400+	500+	600+	700+
0	0	3	1	0

Box History	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
STARTS	4	2	5	2	3	4	4	5
1st	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	0
2nd	2	1	2	0	1	2	1	3
3rd	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0

Comments

Most recent effort finished last over 730m at The Meadows beaten 14 lengths (43.55) behind Without A Trace in a Special conditions H on August 9. Has ability and looks a winning hope.

Expected Early Speed:Midfield

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Box	Ran	Avg. Speed	Margin	SP	Win Time	BON	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Days	Result
6th of 6	9/8/25	The Meadows	730m	8	0:43.55	60.3 km/h	14.6L	$8.00	0:42.53	0:42.49	SPEC H	$11,314	-	7	1. Without A Trace 2. Payback 3. Flying Envy
4th of 6	2/8/25	The Meadows	600m	7	0:34.89	61.9 km/h	4.3L	$4.80	0:34.59	0:34.53	MX 3/4	$11,314	$164	7	1. Paw Xantippe 2. Mepunga Smokey 3. Shake And Bake
1st of 7	26/7/25	The Meadows	600m	4	0:34.60	62.4 km/h	0.1L	$3.80	0:34.60	0:34.47	GR 5	$11,009	$7,412	7	1. Desired Range 2. She's Wired 3. Compton Gold
2nd of 8	19/7/25	The Meadows	525m	8	0:30.13	62.7 km/h	0.6L	$23	0:30.09	0:29.84	SPEC H	$9,875	$2,038	7	1. Saquon 2. Desired Range 3. Texas President
3rd of 8	12/7/25	The Meadows	525m	1	0:30.30	62.4 km/h	0.8L	$4.20	0:30.25	0:29.81	GR 5	$9,581	$997	7	1. Galento 2. Exaggerator 3. Desired Range
3rd of 7	5/7/25	The Meadows	525m	1	0:30.52	61.9 km/h	4.0L	$1.60	0:30.26	0:29.91	GR 5	$9,581	$997	7	1. Speedy Riccardo 2. Paw Quanda 3. Desired Range

Mepunga Lara (4) 6172115351
Trainer: Jeffrey Britton (Anakie)
Prize Money: $19,091
Win / Place: 41% / 58%

Track Specialist

Unbeaten at the Distance

Unbeaten The Track / Distance

1 yo Black B

Sire: HOOKED ON SCOTCH (AUS)

Dam: MEPUNGA ISLA (AUS)

Rating

Stats

Career

12: 5-1-1

Track

4: 2-0-0

Trk/Dst

2: 2-0-0

Distance

2: 2-0-0

Season

1: 1-0-0

1st Up

1: 1-0-0

2nd Up

1: 0-0-0

Winning Distances
<400	400+	500+	600+	700+
0	1	1	1	2

Box History	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
STARTS	1	3	2	1	1	1	3
1st	0	2	0	1	1	0	1
2nd	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
3rd	0	0	1	0	0	0	0

Comments

Impressive performance to win by 7 lengths at this track over 715m (41.94) beating One Word Answer in Grade 4/5 on August 4. Can make it two on the bounce.

Expected Early Speed:Midfield

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Box	Ran	Avg. Speed	Margin	SP	Win Time	BON	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Days	Result
1st of 4	4/8/25	Sandown	715m	8	0:41.94	61.4 km/h	7.5L	$1.20	0:41.94	0:41.94	GR 4/5	$4,851	$3,259	5	1. Mepunga Lara 2. One Word Answer 3. Misty Blue
5th of 8	30/7/25	Ballarat	660m	3	0:39.03	60.9 km/h	6.5L	$1.70	0:38.61	0:38.61	R/A FIN	$16,056	-	7	1. Regal Jyle 2. Handsome Ratio 3. Judgemental
3rd of 6	23/7/25	Ballarat	660m	4	0:38.50	61.7 km/h	2.2L	$1.30	0:38.35	0:38.35	RST WIN H	$4,295	$447	11	1. Regal Jyle 2. Chirp Third 3. Mepunga Lara
5th of 6	12/7/25	The Meadows	730m	7	0:43.42	60.5 km/h	5.4L	$3.50	0:43.05	0:43.05	GR 4/5	$11,314	-	12	1. Copper Rush 2. If Only 3. Paw Louis
1st of 8	30/6/25	Sandown	715m	3	0:41.96	61.3 km/h	2.3L	$2.30	0:41.96	0:41.96	RST WIN	$4,295	$2,878	9	1. Mepunga Lara 2. Mickayla Swift 3. Scotch Time
1st of 7	21/6/25	The Meadows	600m	5	0:34.80	62.1 km/h	7.5L	$2.80	0:34.80	0:34.69	RST WIN	$11,009	$7,412	17	1. Mepunga Lara 2. Edward Nigma 3. South Thailand, Count The Stars

Savannah Star (5) 4416872136
Trainer: Robert Camilleri (Lara)
Prize Money: $15,985
Win / Place: 23% / 50%

2 yo BDL B

Sire: SUPERIOR PANAMA (USA)

Dam: MAXIMUM KACK (AUS)

Rating

Stats

Career

34: 8-5-4

Track

4: 0-1-1

Season

2: 0-0-1

1st Up

1: 0-0-0

2nd Up

1: 0-0-0

Winning Distances
<400	400+	500+	600+	700+
1	4	3	0	0

Box History	1	2	4	5	6	7	8
STARTS	6	2	5	3	7	5	6
1st	1	1	0	2	1	2	1
2nd	0	0	0	0	2	0	3
3rd	1	0	2	0	1	0	0

Comments

Steps up to 715m for the first time. Last appeared when sixth over 595m at this track five days ago. Looking to others this time.

Expected Early Speed:Backmarker

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Box	Ran	Avg. Speed	Margin	SP	Win Time	BON	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Days	Result
6th of 6	11/8/25	Sandown	595m	4	0:35.26	60.7 km/h	7.0L	$7.50	0:34.80	0:34.06	GR 5	$4,295	-	7	1. Chirp Third 2. Pretty Hot 3. His Special
3rd of 5	4/8/25	Sandown	595m	1	0:34.73	61.7 km/h	10.3L	$17	0:34.06	0:34.06	GR 5	$4,295	$447	9	1. Compton Gold 2. Crocodile Roll 3. Savannah Star
1st of 7	26/7/25	Ballarat	545m	7	0:31.64	62.0 km/h	3.0L	$2.50	0:31.64	0:31.64	GR 5	$1,897	$1,254	5	1. Savannah Star 2. Lizard Country 3. Amron Buster
2nd of 4	21/7/25	Sandown	515m	8	0:29.98	61.8 km/h	2.3L	$4.50	0:29.84	0:29.36	GR 5 NP	$3,641	$752	6	1. Target Range 2. Savannah Star 3. Steele Jakit
7th of 8	15/7/25	Warragul	460m	2	0:27.00	61.3 km/h	12.0L	$31	0:26.21	0:26.02	GR 4/5	$3,662	-	5	1. Enzola 2. Witch Of Nova 3. Paw Leon
8th of 8	10/7/25	Warrnambool	450m	5	0:25.97	62.4 km/h	8.7L	$41	0:25.35	0:25.35	GR 4/5	$3,662	-	8	1. Impel 2. Paw Illabo 3. Baby Girl Pearl

One Word Answer (7) 5643354427
Trainer: James Shaw (Seymour)
Prize Money: $16,917
Win / Place: 11% / 44%

2 yo White/Black D

Sire: FERNANDO BALE (AUS)

Dam: MEPUNGA SPECTRE (AUS)

Rating

Stats

Career

36: 4-5-7

Track

7: 0-2-2

Trk/Dst

1: 0-1-0

Distance

1: 0-1-0

Season

2: 0-1-0

1st Up

1: 0-0-0

2nd Up

1: 0-0-0

Winning Distances
<400	400+	500+	600+	700+
0	3	1	0	0

Box History	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
STARTS	5	9	2	3	5	2	6	4
1st	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	1
2nd	1	2	0	0	1	0	1	0
3rd	2	1	0	1	2	0	0	1

Comments

Last start finished seventh over 600m at The Meadows, beaten 8 lengths (34.93) behind Shake It Off in a Grade 5 on August 9. Others hold stronger claims.

Expected Early Speed:Backmarker

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Box	Ran	Avg. Speed	Margin	SP	Win Time	BON	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Days	Result
7th of 8	9/8/25	The Meadows	600m	4	0:34.93	61.8 km/h	8.4L	$41	0:34.34	0:34.30	GR 5	$11,009	-	5	1. Shake It Off 2. Judgemental 3. Greysynd Sammy
2nd of 4	4/8/25	Sandown	715m	1	0:42.42	60.7 km/h	7.5L	$11	0:41.94	0:41.94	GR 4/5	$4,851	$1,003	5	1. Mepunga Lara 2. One Word Answer 3. Misty Blue
4th of 8	30/7/25	Ballarat	660m	7	0:38.95	61.0 km/h	5.3L	$26	0:38.61	0:38.61	R/A FIN	$16,056	$82	7	1. Regal Jyle 2. Handsome Ratio 3. Judgemental
4th of 6	23/7/25	Ballarat	660m	8	0:38.86	61.1 km/h	7.3L	$17	0:38.35	0:38.35	RST WIN H	$4,295	$82	8	1. Regal Jyle 2. Chirp Third 3. Mepunga Lara
5th of 8	15/7/25	Horsham	485m	7	0:27.87	62.6 km/h	8.3L	$20	0:27.33	0:27.17	GR 5	$3,641	-	6	1. Baby Girl Pearl 2. Toxic Slime 3. Belair Betty
3rd of 8	9/7/25	The Meadows	525m	4	0:30.90	61.2 km/h	1.4L	$9.00	0:30.81	0:30.15	GR 5	$3,641	$376	6	1. Kid Luck 2. Perfect Soul 3. One Word Answer

Starfire Tears (8) 5x71121131
Trainer: Robert Britton (Lara)
Prize Money: $17,887
Win / Place: 55% / 77%

2 yo Black B

Sire: GOODESY (AUS)

Dam: EMPRESS TEARS (AUS)

Rating

Stats

Career

9: 5-1-1

1st Up

2: 0-0-0

2nd Up

1: 1-0-0

Winning Distances
<400	400+	500+	600+	700+
0	0	4	0	1

Box History	2	3	4	5	7	8
STARTS	1	1	1	2	3	1
1st	1	1	0	2	1	0
2nd	0	0	0	0	0	1
3rd	0	0	0	0	1	0

Comments

Strong performance after racing just off the speed to win by one length at Gosford over 515m (29.56) beating Hello Chilli in Grade 5 on July 22. The form from last run stacks up well. Hard to beat.

Expected Early Speed:Front Runner

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Box	Ran	Avg. Speed	Margin	SP	Win Time	BON	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Days	Result
1st of 6	22/7/25	Gosford	515m	2	0:29.56	62.7 km/h	1.0L	$2.30	0:29.56	0:29.41	GR 5	$3,390	$2,153	24	1. Starfire Tears 2. Hello Chilli 3. Blazing Warrior
3rd of 8	28/6/25	Wentworth Park	720m	7	0:42.50	61.0 km/h	10.8L	$2.70	0:41.74	0:41.74	GR 5	$10,137	$1,390	9	1. Suribachi 2. Sneaky Tycoon 3. Starfire Tears
1st of 8	19/6/25	Wentworth Park	720m	5	0:42.32	61.2 km/h	1.8L	$3.40	0:42.32	0:42.32	MX	$7,041	$4,769	30	1. Starfire Tears 2. Sneaky Tycoon 3. Suribachi
1st of 8	20/5/25	Gosford	515m	3	0:29.83	62.2 km/h	2.5L	$2.80	0:29.83	0:29.69	GR 5	$3,390	$2,153	7	1. Starfire Tears 2. Vito's Poolish 3. Tarawi Malibu
2nd of 8	13/5/25	Gosford	603m	8	0:34.92	62.2 km/h	6.0L	$8.00	0:34.50	0:34.50	GR 5	$3,390	$692	11	1. Great Terms 2. Starfire Tears 3. Pink Panama
1st of 8	2/5/25	The Gardens	515m	5	0:29.94	61.9 km/h	5.3L	$4.20	0:29.94	0:29.54	MDN	$7,281	$5,450	8	1. Starfire Tears 2. Cold Cold Night 3. Barsando

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