Country cups king Ferdinand Boy will take aim at a remarkable fourth title in the Group 2 SEN Track Traralgon Cup (395m) on Australia Day, next Wednesday, after returning to his brilliant best in Friday night’s heats.
Eight ‘winner-take-all’ heats were conducted on the world-first ‘J-curve’ track, which hosted its first official race meeting last Saturday, with Ferdinand Boy, which won the Ballarat, Healesville and Shepparton Cups in 2021, claiming heat three in 21.65sec.
Ferdinand Boy was the second leg of a heat double for David Geall, after Healesville Cup placegetter Hill Top Jonah won the opening heat in 21.77sec.
Other highlights from Friday night’s Cup heats included:
- Bendigo Cup placegetter and track record holder Typhoon Sammy was easily the fastest heat winner, setting the time standard in the final heat with an electrifying 21.53s performance, his 22nd win from 33 starts. Trainer Jason Thompson’s wife Seona prepared the most recent Traralgon Cup winner, Poke The Bear, in 2018.
- Andrea Dailly also claimed a heat double, courtesy of Mebourne Cup runner-up Lala Kiwi running 21.61sec and Indy Honey 21.85sec. Dailly won the 2015 Traralgon Cup with the great Fernando Bale.
- NSW raider More Sauce, a two-time G2 runner-up in his home state in the Black Top and Maitland Cup for owner/trainer/breeder Michelle Lill, will try to emulate his litter brother Robbie Rotten, winner of the recent G2 Warragul Cup, after a 21.66sec heat success.
