Fresh off her Group 1 Sandgroper triumph in Western Australia, Canya Excite Me has stamped herself as the one to beat for the 2026 Sportsbet Warrnambool Cup.
The Anthony Azzopardi-trained star produced a dominant display in her heat, stopping the clock in a best of the night, 24.89 seconds, while holding off a late charge from Dewana Star.
Jumping from box eight, she may have dented the fairytale of a Matt Loch three-peat, but she won plenty of admirers in the process with a performance full of strength and authority.
There is a glimmer of hope for Matt Loch, who is the first reserve for the Warrnambool Cup.
It capped a memorable night for Azzopardi, who doubled up success when kennelmate Boracay Storm powered to victory in 25.03 seconds, with Baby Beets chasing bravely into second.
Earlier in the night, Giacomo set the tone with a boilover result, overcoming a couple of checks to claim his heat in 25.29 seconds.
Dramatical was huge in running second, after finding himself at the rear of the field. He powered home to miss out on a victory by half a length.
Slick Splits reminded punters of his quality with a typically tough performance, railing strongly to defeat On The Prowl, who had returned to Victoria off a sizzling track record trial at The Q.
The four Warrnambool Cup heats were impacted by a string of scratching’s, highlighted by the unfortunate withdrawal of recent Geelong Cup winner Paw Matic after Team Grenfell encountered car trouble en route to the track.
Despite the disruptions, the stage is now set with heat winners and runners-up progressing through to Wednesday night’s Sportsbet Warrnambool Cup final
