Freshwater Creek owner-trainer Kelly Bravo is hoping Paddy Wants Pats can follow in the pawprints of his mum, Striker Light, in the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup (525m) at The Meadows on Saturday night.

Bravo and husband Brett have prepared three G1 Melbourne Cup finalists – Pezza’s Tiger (1996), Secret Spell (2015) and Striker Light (2017) – but Paddy Wants Pats is their first Australian Cup finalist.

Striker Light won three G1s, including the Temlee, during the 2018 ‘Australian Cup Carnival’. In all, she contested an amazing 17 Group race finals including 11 G1s.

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But Bravo says Paddy Wants Pats hasn’t inherited his mum’s traits.

“They’re quite opposite. On paper, he’s probably quicker and a lot stronger but hasn’t got her early brilliance.

“And he’s a gentleman whereas she’s got a bit of arrogance. But both have a ‘funny, unique bark’, which is probably the only similarity.”

Paddy Wants Pats lapped up the attention after grabbing a berth in the $300,000 to-the-winner Australian Cup final. He was the seventh fastest qualifier (29.87sec) from eight heat winners.

Paddy Wants Pats has now won 12 from 31, including seven from 14 over 525m at The Meadows. And his heat winning time was only two lengths off his 29.75sec PB. It was also his third win on the trot.

At his previous start, he snared a $20,000 first prize in the Listed Western Districts Derby (450m) at Ballarat.

He was also a finalist in the G3 Speed Star at The Meadows and Listed Australian Sprint at Sandown Park.

“He’s racing in real good form, but we’ve found in the past that he’s struggled from the ‘squeeze’ boxes.

“It depends on what happens early but if he finds the lead, he’ll be hard to run down.”

2022 TAB AUSTRALIAN CUP FINAL (525m)
Saturday 26 February – First prize $300,000
1 ORLANDO (Lee Moore, Bagshot VIC)
2 DAPH’S ASCEND (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
3 ZIPPY TESLA (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
4 LALA KIWI (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
5 IMMUNITY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
6 PADDY WANTS PATS (Kelly Bravo, Freshwater Creek VIC)
7 GYPSY BUN (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
8 TITAN BLAZER (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
Reserves
9 ASTON RUPEE (Glenn Rounds, Devon Meadows VIC)
10 RICCARTON RICK (Robert Redenbach, Cranbourne VIC)

HEAT WINNERS
(Fastest to slowest)

• 29.61sec Lala Kiwi
• 29.74sec Immunity
• 29.75sec Zippy Tesla
• 29.80sec Daph’s Ascend
• 29.83sec Gypsy Bun
• 29.86sec Orlando
• 29.87sec Paddy Wants Pats
• 29.92sec Titan Blazer

“I was pretty happy when the ‘five’ rug was out in front. He hadn’t had a 500-metre hit-out since late January, but he’s naturally strong.

Paddy Wants Pats – a $7.50 chance on TAB fixed odds – is drawn awkwardly in the ‘green’ trap (Box 6) in the final.

“We would have preferred him drawn closer to the ‘fence’. But he’ll come out and go straight.

“It depends on what happens early but if he finds the lead, he’ll be hard to run down.

WATCH: Paddy Wants Pats (5) earns some affection with a 29.87sec Australian Cup heat win.

“He’s got a little left up his sleeve and he’s gone quicker there. Box six takes the pressure off – it is what it is.”

Given his name, surely there’s something to Paddy Wants Pats’ personality?

“He’s a real sook, he loves affection. And he’ll never change,” Bravo said.