Victorian sprinting superstar Simon Told Helen produced a scintillating sprinting display to claim a $150,000 first prize in tonight’s Group 1 Sky Racing Perth Cup final (520m) at Cannington.
Trained by David Burnett, Simon Told Helen snared his second G1 victory, having won the Silver Chief at The Meadows in early January.
Exploding out of box seven, Simon Told Helen raced through the first two sections in a blistering 5.37sec and 18.15sec – and that’s ‘how the West was won’.
Simon Told Helen ($1.90F) tired in the latter stages but withstood the phenomenal finishing burst of WA pin-up dog Zack Monelli ($3.90) to score by a half-length, with another local, Buster The Brute ($12.00), a further one and a quarter lengths away third in 29.82sec.
It was the Jan ’18 Barcia Bale x Who Told Lindylu dog’s 12th win from 19 starts. His stakes catapulted to $422,955.
The Perth Cup was Simon Told Helen’s eighth group race final. He has also won the G2 Queensland Derby, G3 Cup Night Sprint and G3 Great Chase.
Bred and owned by the Emma’s Boys syndicate, Simon Told Helen is known for his amazing mid-race acceleration and catch-me-if-you-can tactics, and they were key factors in the win.
Victorian greyhounds have now won the past two Perth Cups. Orson Allen won last year’s race, also from box seven.
Simon Told Helen is now likely to head towards the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg series (520m) at Wentworth Park in Sydney.
