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  • Thursday, 01 Dec, 2022,
  • by Peter Quilty

Yay, Yachi!

He was the ‘talk of the town’ after his mind-boggling come-from-behind victory in the $650,000 to-the-winner Group 1 Sportsbet Melbourne Cup at Sandown Park last Saturday night.

But the ‘greyhound on everyone’s lips’, Yachi Bale, is quickly seeking more G1 glory.

His career is only 22 starts ‘long’ – producing nine wins, including his past three – but the Mark Delbridge-trained powerhouse is on a history-making course.

And he’s back against his own ‘age group’ contesting the prestigious all-male Sportsbet Silver Chief series (525m).

Yachi Bale (Box 7) is engaged in Heat 4 (Race 7, 8.37pm) at The Meadows on Saturday night. He’s $2.90F on Sportsbet’s fixed odds market to claim a must-win heat.

Success on the weekend would ensure Yachi Bale – a Sep ’20 son of The Meadows 525m track record holder Allen Deed – lines up in the $100,000 to-the-winner final on December 10.

And if he were to take home the ultimate prize, he would become only the fourth greyhound to land the Melbourne Cup-Silver Chief double – joining Light Of Fire (1994), Kantarn Bale (1999) and Closing Argument (2005/2006).

A kaleidoscope of young speedsters will line up in eight heats, also including Amron Boy (Heat 5 – $1.55); Rejuvenate (Heat 2 – $1.85); and All Spritzed Up (Heat 3 – $3).

Below is a heats’ synopsis:

Heat 1 (Race 4 – 7.33pm)
Somewhat a pick-it-with-a-pin affair, with the main chances appearing to be Amron Dan (Box 3), which boasts a slick 29.80sec PB, along with G3 Great Chase finalists Elite Alex (Box 8) and Mepunga Raider (Box 4).

Heat 2 (Race 5 – 7.53pm)
Looms as a ‘two-dog war’ between Rejuvenate (Box 1) – nine from 11, including his past five – and G3 SA Derby winner Deadly Class (Box 8), which has clocked a smart 29.88sec PB.

Heat 3 (Race 6 – 8.17pm)
Another even affair, with G3 Great Chase winner All Spritzed Up (Box 7) shading WA star Electrified (Box 8) – 14 from 18 – in betting, followed by False Confidence (Box 4), Blue Demon (Box 1) and Valor Bale (Box 3).

Heat 4 (Race 7 – 8.37pm)
G1 Melbourne Cup hero Yachi Bale (Box 7) is being pressed for favouritism by exciting talent Shadow Riot (Box 1) – five from seven, including his past four – which has registered a fast 29.22sec Sandown Park win. Geelong Derby runner-up Dundee Smokey (Box 3) also has strong claims.

Click HERE  for Sportsbet’s Silver Chief heats market

Heat 5 (Race 8 – 8.56pm)
Amron Boy (Box 8), which was gallant in defeat to Wow She’s Fast in the ‘Sportsbet Showdown’ on Melbourne Cup night, holds a mortgage on this heat. He’s five from 10 here, with a blistering 29.55sec PB.

Heat 6 (Race 9 – 9.18pm)
Landyn Bale (Box 6) – eight from 16 – and G2 Bendigo Cup runner-up Salad Dodger (Box 8) should go ‘paw to paw’. Fiorano (Box 1), which faces his acid test, cannot be dismissed.

Heat 7 (Race 10 – 9.39pm)
Appears a race in three between Great Chase runner-up Like An Arrow (Box 6) – seven from 14 – Scofflaw (Box 1) – four from eight here – and Zoha Bale (Box 3), which is the last dog to have defeated Yachi Bale.

Heat 8 (Race 11 – 9.56pm)
G3 Northern Districts Cup finalist Hot Scotch (Box 1) – a litter brother of Rejuvenate – and G2 Healesville Cup runner-up Quinlan Bale (Box 6) are the popular elects. But don’t underestimate Tinker Norm (Box 3) – five from nine – and G1 Hume Cup finalist Triumph (Box 4).

WATCH: The ‘baby of the field’, YACHI BALE (B4) finishes at the rate of knots to collar FERNANDO MICK (B5) and PLAINTIFF (B1) in the G1 Melbourne Cup.

Peter QuiltyPeter Quilty

Peter Quilty

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.

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