For one of the very few times in Ferdinand Boy’s stellar career, Victoria’s country cups king will find himself in the role of ‘underdog’ when he meets NSW superstar, She’s A Pearl, at Goulburn on Friday afternoon.
Ferdinand Boy (Box 6) and She’s A Pearl (Box 4) will renew acquaintances in the second of three heats of the lucrative Southern Stars series (440m), where only the winner will advance to the $50,000 to-the-winner final.
Their previous meeting came in the Temora Cup final in March, where She’s A Pearl was victorious, with favourite Ferdinand Boy an unlucky fifth.
“It’s a different scenario because usually they’re all trying to knock our bloke off,” said Ferdinand Boy’s trainer David Geall.
“It’s going to be very difficult. I can’t see him beating She’s A Pearl, the way he’s jumping.
“He won’t run She’s A Pearl down, so his only chance is if he begins really fast, which he hasn’t done for some time. Even though he won ten in a row, he probably only jumped well in two of them.
“It’s a shame they’ve drawn against each other in a heat. The Group 1 Vic Peters Classic winner, Gatlin, is in the race as well!
“I don’t know why they don’t seed them, like they do in tennis or World Cup football, but we’ll have a go.
“Ferdinand Boy isn’t drawn well either. She’s A Pearl has Box 4, but she just makes light work of middle draws. She’s just bulletproof. She reminds me of Koblenz.”
She’s A Pearl, trained by Jodie Lord at nearby Gunning, has won 22 of her 32 starts, the last 12 in succession, but hasn’t raced since winning the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on May 7 after coming on season.
After reeling off ten straight wins, highlighted by his 50th career victory, Ferdinand Boy has been beaten at his last two starts, in the Horizon final at Sale and then in a preparatory excursion to Goulburn last Friday when he was a luckless third at $1.15.
WATCH: Champion NSW sprinter SHE’S A PEARL (B4) hasn’t raced since her brilliant all-the-way victory in the TAB Million Dollar Chase (520m) at Wentworth Park on May 7.
“We went up there to give him a look at the track but unfortunately he met with severe interference,” Geall said.
“He was going very quickly but the two leaders came together, and he was caught in the sandwich. He was entitled to run last, so he did a great job to run third.”
Victoria will also have high class representation in Friday night’s Southern Stars heats at Wagga, where, as with Goulburn, only the winners will qualify for the final, to be held at Goulburn next Friday (July 29).
Warragul Cup winner Robbie Rotten (Box 7), trained by Kayla Cottrell, and Aston Profit (Box 8), prepared by Jessica Sharp, will contest the first run-off, while 2021 Bendigo Cup victor Paua Of Buddy (Box 4), now with Wagga-based owner David Jones, and Jessica Sharp’s Orson Mick (Box 5) are engaged in heat two.
Warragul Cup winner ROBBIE ROTTEN is heading to Wagga for Friday night’s Southern Stars heats.
