Healesville’s 2022 Festival of Racing will come to an epic conclusion on Sunday afternoon with the running of the $78,795 Group 2 Healesville Cup Final (350m).

Headlining the star-studded line-up will be defending champion Ferdinand Boy, with the country cups ‘king’ attempting to become the third back-to-back winner of the event.

If successful in claiming a remarkable fifth provincial cup crown, David Geall‘s superstar would emulate two-time Healesville Cup heroes Koutafidamedes (1997 and 1998) and Schwartzanager (2006 and 2007).

KEY TIMES

11:03am First race
12:13pm Race 5 (first leg of Quaddie)
12:31pm HGA Members Trophy Final featuring Zigzag Cabang? (Race 6)
1:07pm G2 Healesville Cup Final (Race 8)
2:35pm Last race (Race 12)

In 2021, Ferdinand Boy secured a $50,000 bonus offered by GRV for winning three country cups in a calendar year, courtesy of his Healesville triumph, and the bonus could go off at the straight track venue for the second year running on Sunday.

After victories at Traralgon and Horsham earlier this year, Typhoon Sammy, one of two finalists prepared by dual Healesville Cup-winning trainer Jason Thompson, is eyeing the bonus and what would amount to a $100,000 ‘pay day’.

However, betting suggests Ferdinand Boy ($10) and Typhoon Sammy ($9.50) have their work cut out.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
– Behind-the-scenes insights on GRV Facebook, @WatchDogRacing Twitter and @greyhoundracingvic Instagram
– Regular updates with Trent Langskaill on RSN Racing and Sport (927 AM).

Lone interstate finalist, Sacred Stance, has been installed $3.50 favourite after the New South Wales raider was the fastest of last Sunday’s five heat winners, clocking 19.07sec at his Healesville debut, shading Panama Canal, which has won seven of his eight starts ‘up the straight’, at $3.60.

Quinlan Bale and trainer Daniel Gibbons will be attempting to complete a remarkable ‘clean-sweep’ of the Healesville Festival of Racing’s ‘majors’, having already annexed the Victorian Straight Track Championship and The Arrow match race series.

POINTS OF INTEREST

HISTORY BOOKS
The Healesville Cup was first run in 1990, with the inaugural winner, Eureka Man, going on to be named 1990 Victorian Greyhound of the Year.

BACK-TO-BACK
Defending champion Ferdinand Boy is striving to become the third greyhound to claim back-to-back Healesville Cup victories, following Koutafidamedes (1997-1998) and Schwartzanager (2006-2007). Ferdinand Boy is chasing his fifth country cup title, having been victorious at Shepparton, Ballarat and Shepparton in 2021, and Warrnambool earlier this year.

CUPS BONUS
Typhoon Sammy is chasing a $50,000 bonus for winning three country cups in a calendar year after victories at Traralgon and Horsham. Typhoon Sammy is one of two finalists prepared by champion trainer Jason Thompson, who’s eyeing his third Healesville Cup success, having previously won the race with El Brooklyn (2013) and Zambora Lou (2020). Thompson’s other contender is lightly raced Unleash Collinda (Box 4), a litter brother to record-breaker Mr. Audacious, which is contesting his first Group event at just his eleventh start.

BROTHERS IN ARMS
Young trainer and former professional wrestler Daniel Gibbons also has strength in numbers as he attempts to break a Group race hoodoo. Gibbons has two finalists in litter brothers Quinlan Bale and Nicolson Bale, which ran the quinella in the Victorian Straight Track Championship last month. Quinlan Bale also won the Arrow match race series.

‘GIRL’ POWER
Action Girl is the only female finalist and is attempting to become the first member of the fairer sex to win the Healesville Cup since El Brooklyn in 2013. Female trainers Michelle Sultana and Jessica Hopkins shape as key players, with their respective finalists Sacred Stance and Panama Canal heading betting markets.

VIC DOMINATION
Victorian-trained sprinters have dominated the Healesville Cup over the last decade, with fastest heat winner Sacred Stance, a former Tasmanian now trained in New South Wales, striving to become the first interstate winner since Marbro Man, which also hailed from New South Wales, in 2011.

Group 2 HEALESVILLE CUP FINAL (350m)
Healesville Race 8, Sunday 1:07pm
Total prizemoney $78,795 (First prize $50,000)
1 QUINLAN BALE (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
2 ACTION GIRL (Gary Peach, Cape Clear VIC)
3 SACRED STANCE (Michelle Sultana, Sawyers Gully NSW)
4 UNLEASH COLLINDA (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
5 NICOLSON BALE (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
6 PANAMA CANAL (Jess Hopkins, Junction Village VIC) ?
7 TYPHOON SAMMY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
8 FERDINAND BOY (David Geall, Lara VIC)
Reserves
9 MASTER OGILVIE (James Shaw, Seymour VIC)
10 RICCARTON RICK (Robert Redenbach, Cranbourne VIC)

HEALESVILLE CUP HEAT WINNERS
Sunday 4 September
(fastest to slowest)

19.07sec Sacred Stance ?
19.08sec Unleash Collinda
19.19sec Panama Canal
19.24sec Nicolson Bale
19.38sec Action Girl

RECENT HEALESVILLE CUP WINNERS

2013 El Brooklyn (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
2014 Frosty Jay Jay (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale VIC) [Feb]
2014 Size Does Matter (Brooke Ennis, Lara VIC) [September]
2015 Allkel To Excel (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
2016 Zipping Arnold (Ian Cockerell, Buckley VIC)
2017 Zinzan Brooke (Brooke Ennis, Lara VIC)
2018 Kouta Mayhem (Jason Sharp, Avalon VIC)
2019 Myrniong And All (Anthony Azzopardi, Rowsley VIC)
2020 Zambora Lou (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC) ?
2021 Ferdinand Boy (David Geall, Lara VIC)

RELATED
GREEN LIGHT ON: HEALESVILLE CUP EDITION
THE STIR UP FEATURING GYPSY WYONG, PANAMA CANAL AND QUINLAN BALE
PROFILE ON SACRED STANCE
HEALESVILLE A ‘HAPPY HAUNT’ FOR GIBBONS
COLLINDA ‘UNLEASHED’!
HEALESVILLE CUP HEATS GALLERY