Superstar country cups king Ferdinand Boy added another provincial feather to his cap with a brilliant victory in the $126,500 Listed Pink Diamond Champion Sprinter final (450m) at Ballarat on Friday night.
A four-time country cups winner, it was a case of second time lucky on Pink Diamond finals night for Ferdinand Boy and trainer David Geall, who was watching on from the United Kingdom, after running third in the Champion Short Course final during the inaugural 2021 series.
“He does leave us speechless,” Jeff Geall, deputising for brother David, told Jason Adams.
“He just keeps doing it. You think, how do you keep doing it, but he does, and it doesn’t matter the competition, the elite, the best. He beats the best and I suppose he is the best.”
After qualifying for the $75,000 to-the-winner final at Shepparton with a stirring victory over rising star Panama Canal, Ferdinand Boy started $2.50 favourite from Box 1 in one of the most anticipated events at Friday’s Pink Diamond extravaganza.
A dual Group 2 Ballarat Cup finalist, winning the race last year, the son of the great Fernando Bale and Nayla Swift, bred by Rose Geall, showcased blinding acceleration to lead and demonstrated all his champion qualities to repel the challenges of Revolution ($6) and Panama Canal ($3.30) in 25.10sec.
It was an incredible 48th win from 84 starts, with his prizemoney tally fast approaching $500,000.
“It’s surreal really, to have him in the kennels,” Jeff Geall offered.
“He’s probably racing in the best form of his career – a dog that’s coming up to 50 wins. Most dogs don’t race 50 starts.
“David and Rose (wife) would be over there in the UK at the moment, probably in tears, because this dog just breaks your heart. He’s such a beautiful animal.”
The Geall family are fast developing an affinity with the Pink Diamond series, having won the Rookie Sprinter title last year with Koblenz, a cousin of Ferdinand Boy, that famously went on to win the Melbourne Cup.
“Everybody is talking about it and it’s only going to go from strength to strength,” Geall said, in praise of the Pink Diamond concept.
“We’re only in the second year, just tweaking it year by year, so look out in the next few years. We just love being part of it, so we’ll keep on breeding!”
