The Geall family juggernaut rolled on in Friday night’s Group 2 Sportsbet Horsham Cup heats (485m), with regally-bred track specialist Jungle Panther stealing the show.
Last weekend at The Meadows, it was David Geall winning the G1 Australian Cup with Fernando Mick, and it will be Geall’s younger brother Jeff’s turn to take aim at feature race silverware in next Friday’s Horsham Cup Final.
Four heats were held, with Jungle Panther, a son of superstar parents Barcia Bale and Up Hill Jill and a half-brother to 2021 Melbourne Cup hero Koblenz, setting Horsham alight in the opening run-off.
Ideally drawn in box seven, Jungle Panther was the $3.50 second elect, behind Stealth, winner of his previous five starts, including the G3 Country Championship on Australian Cup night, at $1.90.
After Jungle Panther won the early speed battle with Stealth, it was one-way traffic as he exploded clear, romping home by five lengths in a flying Best Of Night 26.83sec.
WATCH: JUNGLE PANTHER (B7) continued his love affair with Horsham when setting the pace in Friday night’s Group 2 Cup heats, defeating favourite STEALTH (B1) in a fast 26.83sec.
The performance equalled Jungle Panther’s Horsham PB and boosted his imposing record at the track to six wins from seven starts, while the blueblood boasts an impressive 25 from 62 overall record.
At his previous appearance at Horsham, Jungle Panther won the Presidents Cup Final on January 31, defeating another of Friday night’s heat winners He’s No Slouch.
Next Friday night’s $47,000 to-the-winner Cup Final will be Jungle Panther’s second straight appearance in a provincial cup final, after he ran fifth to another Horsham Cup finalist in Panadero Warrior in the G2 Bulli Gold Cup last month.
The Gealls will be hoping for a better outcome than in last year’s Horsham Cup Final when now dual G1 winner Fernando Mick finished at the tail of the field.
Other highlights from Friday night’s Cup heats were:
- Last start G2 Bulli Gold Cup winner Panadero Warrior produced a monumental performance to win the final heat in 26.95sec after missing the start. Trained by Paul Abela, the Bendigo and Warragul Cup finalist stormed home to claim a thrilling victory over tearaway leader Matt’s Hope.
- After a brave second in the G1 Australian Cup Final, Baby Jaycee once again demonstrated class and courage in spades in her 27.05sec heat victory, booking a berth in her fifth Group final, where she’ll be chasing a deserved black type breakthrough. Her trainer Bob Douglas will have two finalists, with Call Me Marley also qualifying.
- He’s No Slouch, trained by Peter Craig, stepped out from the giant shadow cast by his champion litter sister Wow She’s Fast, qualifying for his second country cup decider and fourth Group final, courtesy of a 27.09sec heat success.
- After winning the 2022 Horsham Cup with the recently-retired Typhoon Sammy, champion mentor Jason Thompson will take aim at back-to-back titles and a fifth victory in the race, with Stealth advancing courtesy of his second placing to Jungle Panther.
