Trainer Andrea Dailly will launch a two-pronged challenge in her quest to win a second Warragul Cup on Friday night – 17 years after she scored with Sun Hero in 2005.

She’ll rug Gypsy Bun, which won the first of six heats tonight, and Indy Fido, which finished a thrilling second to Robbie Rotten in his heat. Watch

Based at Anakie, Dailly finished third with retired superstar Shima Shine in last year’s final after he’d set a new 460m track record (25.19sec) in a heat. She also prepared 2013 Warragul Cup runner-up, Grigorieva Bale.

Other highlights to emerge from this evening’s heats include:

• Track specialist Hennessey – trained at Lara by former Gippslander Ashlee Terry – was the fastest heat winner (25.53sec) and notched his sixth win from eight starts at Logan Park. The Group 3 Provincial Plate winner has now won nine of his past 10.
• Rising star Titan Blazer, which finished third in last Saturday’s G1 Silver Chief at The Meadows, made it five wins from his past six starts. He is trained by former pro-wrestler Daniel Gibbons (aka Danny Psycho).
• Ex-NSW country star Robbie Rotten – now in the Pearcedale kennel of 19-year-old training prodigy Kayla Cottrell – secured his seventh win from his past nine starts.

Friday night’s G2 SEN Track Warragul Cup final – which is part of the Gippsland Festival of Racing – will carry a first prize of $47,000.

2022 SEN TRACK WARRAGUL CUP (460m)
Friday 14 January – First prize $47,000

1. HAMILLSON (Richard Hill, Frankston)
2. HENNESSEY (Ashlee Terry, Lara)
3. GYPSY BUN (Andrea Dailly, Anakie)
4. KINSON BALE (Samantha Grenfell, Anakie)
5. ROBBIE ROTTEN (Kayla Cottrell, Pearcedale)
6. ULTIMATE AVENGER (Joe Borg, Maryborough)
7. INDY FIDO (Andrea Dailly, Anakie)
8. TITAN BLAZER (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon)

Reserves

9. HEBRIDEAN BLACK (Lisa Cockerell, Buckley)
10. INDY HONEY (Andrea Dailly, Anakie)

HEAT WINNERS
(Fastest to slowest)

• 25.53sec Hennessey
• 25.58sec Titan Blazer
• 25.59sec Robbie Rotten
• 25.73sec Gypsy Bun
• 25.87sec Ultimate Avenger
• 25.97sec Hamillson