What a start to the Gippsland Festival of Racing…

The $120,335 Group 1 TRFM Sale Cup Final (650m) – Race 8, 9:22pm – on Boxing Day comprises a crackerjack field!

It’s a race with a myriad of ‘combinations and permutations’ – less than two lengths separated six of the finalists on heat times last Sunday, with seven of them now $10 or less on a pick-it-with-a-pin Sportsbet’s fixed odds market to claim a $75,000 first prize.

Will the “Team Delbridge” (Mark and Lisa) juggernaut roll on towards back-to-back Sale Cup victories?

Or will “Team Neocleous” (Robert and Wendy) become ‘local heroes’ for the second time?

Both camps will launch two-pronged challenges on the only Group 1 event on the Victorian country cups scene.

KEY TIMES

6:48pm First race
8:17pm $14,960 James Yeates Printing Rising Stars Final (Race 5; first leg of Quaddie)
8:37pm $14,960 Ed Fountain Removals Summer Cup Final (Race 6)
8:56pm $14,960 Waugh Family Festival Launch Final (Race 7)
9:22pm $120,335 Group 1 TRFM Sale Cup Final (Race 8)
9:44pm $11,500 TRFM Cup Night Match Race | Extreme Jewel vs Lakeview Patsy (Race 9)
10:06pm $8,125 Catch The Thief at Stud Final (Race 10)
10:51pm Last race (Race 12)

Balliang-based Mark Delbridge will rug last year’s Sale Cup winner, Jarick Bale, and recent Group 1 Melbourne Cup hero, Yachi Bale.

A dual G1 winner, Jarick Bale finished second in his heat, beaten 1.2 lengths by Lady Lily Hook in 37.23sec, while Yachi Bale produced a stunning last-to-first performance to overhaul Alpine Butterfly by 0.3 lengths in 37.08sec.

Meanwhile, Great Guy – prepared by Robert Neocleous – was the fastest qualifier with a fast-finishing 1.5 length win over last year’s Sale Cup third placegetter Untapped in 37.05sec. His litter sister, Lady Lily Hook, accounted for Jarick Bale with a highballing all-the-way win.

Great Guy was in the Group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial on Melbourne Cup night, while Lady Lily Hook finished third in the Group 3 Great Chase Final in October.

The Neocleous’ are now hoping to take home a second piece of Sale Cup silverware to Hazelwood North, having won with Neo Cleo in 2018 (trained by Wendy).

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

Ironically, Dookie Devil – a close relative of the Neocleous duo – was the last of four heat winners. Trained at Cosgrove by Glenn Dainton, Dookie Devil led from go to whoa in defeating Ariarne Bale by 1.2 lengths in 37.07sec.

He was also triumphant over Jarick Bale in the Sir John Dillon Memorial.

Dookie Devil ($4) is Sale Cup favourite ahead of Yachi Bale ($4.60), Alpine Butterfly ($5), Great Guy ($5.50), Ariarne Bale ($7), Jarick Bale ($8.50) and Untapped ($10).

Lady Lily Hook ($31) is the rank outsider.

POINTS OF INTEREST

DOUBLE DELIGHT?
Jarick Bale is aiming for successive Sale Cup victories. Last year, he defeated Mepunga Ruby and Untapped. His trainer, Mark Delbridge, also finished fourth with Jarick Bale’s older half-brother Christo Bale in 2020 and fourth with Chrichton Bale in 2015.

BOY, OH BOY!
There has only been one dual winner of the Sale Cup – the George Rose-trained Wylie Boy (1995 and 1996).

‘NEO’ LIGHTS
Husband-and-wife team Robert and Wendy Neocleous are hoping for their second Sale Cup win in five years, having saluted with Neo Cleo in 2018. Her litter brother, Blackjack Neo, finished sixth in that final. They have littermates Great Guy and Lady Lily Hook in this year’s final.

THE SALE CUP REDEMPTION?
Dustin Drew, who prepares reigning Group 1 Sandown Cup queen Untapped, returns for redemption after finishing third in last year’s final.

DEVIL INSIDE
Glenn Dainton, who trains race favourite Dookie Devil, finished fourth with Black Impala in the 2018 Sale Cup.

MUM’S THE WORD
The dams of Great Guy and Lady Lily Hook (Ruby’s Image) and Dookie Devil (Nicky Neo) are litter sisters of Neo Cleo.

PAPILLON
Des Douch, who prepares Alpine Butterfly, finished fourth with Brueghelino in the 2017 Sale Cup.

FOUR FAB FAVES
Four favourites have won the Sale Cup in the past 11 years – Destini Fireball ($3.30 in 2012), Dundee Osprey ($2.20 in 2016), Neo Cleo ($2.70 in 2018) and Houdini Boy ($2.30 in 2020).

BOOK OF GENESIS
The Sale Cup was run over 484 metres from its inception in 1970 until 1992, then over 511 metres from 1993 to 2000. From 2001 to 2003 it was staged over 630 metres, and since 2004 has been conducted over 650 metres.

FABULOUS FACELIFT
In 2003, a major track redevelopment unveiled a brand-new circuit. Under the guidance of track designer Brian Barrington, Sale had an extreme makeover, with the new distances becoming 440, 520 and 650 metres. The track was also widened to seven metres, with both straights being realigned.

COUNTRY CUPS KING
The 2010 Sale Cup became the richest country cup in Australia with a winner’s purse of $50,000, and in 2011 it maintained its Group 1 status with the first prize jumping to $75,000.

JUST FOR THE RECORD
The 650m track record at Sale is 36.665sec, set by Burn One Down on July 16, 2017.

Group 1 TRFM SALE CUP FINAL (650m)
Sale Race 8, Monday 9:22pm
Total prizemoney $120,335 (First prize $75,000)
1 ALPINE BUTTERFLY (Des Douch, Maffra VIC)
2 DOOKIE DEVIL (Glenn Dainton, Cosgrove VIC)
3 ARIARNE BALE (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
4 LADY LILY HOOK (Robert Neocleous, Hazelwood North VIC)
5 YACHI BALE (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC) 📷
6 GREAT GUY (Robert Neocleous, Hazelwood North VIC)
7 JARICK BALE (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC)
8 UNTAPPED (Dustin Drew, Dennington VIC)
Reserves
9 LAKEVIEW PATSY  SCRATCHED
10 EXTREME JEWEL  SCRATCHED

Click HERE  for Sportsbet’s latest market on the Sale Cup Final

TRFM SALE CUP HEAT WINNERS
Sunday 18 December
(fastest to slowest)

37.05sec GREAT GUY 📷
37.07sec DOOKIE DEVIL
37.08sec YACHI BALE
37.23sec LADY LILY HOOK

RECENT SALE CUP WINNERS

2012 DESTINI FIREBALL (Emilio Rinaldi, Lethbridge VIC)
2013 DYNA NALIN (Paul Stuart, Nambeelup WA)
2014 STAR RECALL (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)
2015 NO DONUTS (Brad Canty, Cardiff NSW)
2016 DUNDEE OSPREY (Geoff Scott-Smith, Pakenham South VIC)
2017 QUICK JAGGER (Chris Halse, Nambeelup WA)
2018 NEO CLEO (Wendy Neocleous, Hazelwood North VIC)
2019 WEBLEC EAGLE (Matt Lanigan, Anakie VIC)
2020 HOUDINI BOY (Kel Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
2021 JARICK BALE (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC) 📷

RELATED
GREEN LIGHT ON – SALE CUP EDITION
THE STIR UP – SALE CUP EDITION
DELBRIDGE’S DYNAMIC SALE CUP DUO
‘GUY’ AND ‘LADY’ CHASE GROUP 1 GLORY