Top Victorian trainer Andrea Dailly is chasing an unprecedented sixth Group 1 TAB Australian Cup (525m) on Saturday night.
And she has four chances in which to pull off a phenomenal feat!
Based at Anakie, Dailly is represented by Daph’s Ascend (Box 2), Zippy Tesla (Box 3), Lala Kiwi (Box 4) and Gypsy Bun (Box 7).
Click HERE for TAB’s Australian Cup market.
Since 2010, Dailly has won the ‘Cup of Dreams’ with Dyna Lachlan (2010), Spud Regis (2013), Dyna Double One (2016), Hecton Bale (2018) and Dyna Patty (2019).
Spud Regis is the only one of the quintet not to have been bred by late NSW breeding doyen Paul Wheeler who forged an incredible partnership with Dailly, husband Tom and his brother George – aka ‘Team Dailly’.
Wheeler passed away suddenly on October 13 last year, aged 66.
So, when a ‘fab four’ chase a $300,000 first prize for the Daillys this weekend, the memory of Wheeler will be close to their hearts.
“He (Wheeler) means everything to us,” George Dailly said. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to us in greyhound racing.”
Ironically, none of the Daillys Australian Cup quartet were bred by Wheeler.
“The majority of our income was coming from the Wheeler breed, so in 2015 we diversified and also set up a breeding/rearing complex in Elaine,” Dailly added. “We breed around 100 pups (approx. 12-15 litters) a year.
“Lala Kiwi is just a very good sprinter. Hopefully it will be her turn this time.”
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)
In last week’s eight Cup heats, Lala Kiwi (29.61sec) was the fastest qualifier toppling the ‘world’s fastest greyhound’ Aston Rupee by 4.5 lengths.
Zippy Tesla (29.75sec), Daph’s Ascend (29.80sec) and Gypsy Bun (29.83) were the third, fourth and fifth fastest heat winners.
Amazingly, despite being first reserve, Aston Rupee ($2.30) heads TAB’s fixed odds market ahead of Lala Kiwi ($3.30) and Zippy Tesla ($3.50). Daph’s Ascend and Gypsy Bun are quoted at $7.50 and $26 respectively.
In assessing their chances, Dailly said: “Lala Kiwi is just a very good sprinter. Hopefully it will be her turn this time.
WATCH: Lala Kiwi (2) semaphores a sizzling 29.61sec (Best) Australian Cup heat victory.
“Zippy Tesla is racing beautifully; he’s in with a good chance. He’s not a brilliant box dog but musters quickly.
“Daph’s Ascend is a nice type, but she’ll have to be in the first couple early to have a chance.”
“And Gypsy Bun is in career-best form. But she’s up against it; she really needed to draw near the ‘fence’.”
Peter Quilty has more than three decades of experience as assistant editor of Victorian Greyhound Weekly. He was editor of GRV monthly magazine The Adviser (2001-09) and owner/publisher of Australian Greyhound Monthly. He also served on the selection panel for the inaugural GRV ‘Hall of Fame’ inductees and for several years was an adjudicator on the Victorian GOTY. He’s also published greyhound racing yearbooks and wrote the ‘Bold Trease’ video script.
The Watchdog has his say on Saturday night’s Group 1 TAB Australian Cup final…
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