Country cups king Ferdinand Boy will take aim at a remarkable fourth title in the Group 2 SEN Track Traralgon Cup (395m) on Australia Day after returning to his brilliant best in Friday night’s heats.
The Traralgon Cup final will end a bumper Gippsland Festival of Racing over the Christmas, New Year period, with the Sale and Warragul Cups taking the earlier spotlight.
Eight ‘winner-take-all’ heats were conducted on the world-first ‘J-curve’ track, which hosted its first official race meeting last Saturday, with Ferdinand Boy, which won the Ballarat, Healesville and Shepparton Cups in 2021, claiming heat three in 21.65sec.
Ferdinand Boy was the second leg of a heat double for David Geall, after Healesville Cup placegetter Hill Top Jonah won the opening heat in 21.77sec.
There were plenty of other highlights from Friday night’s Cup heats
Bendigo Cup placegetter and track record holder Typhoon Sammy was easily the fastest heat winner, setting the time standard in the final heat with an electrifying 21.53s performance, his 22nd win from 33 starts.
Trainer Jason Thompson’s wife Seona prepared the most recent Traralgon Cup winner, Poke The Bear, in 2018.
Andrea Dailly also claimed a heat double, courtesy of Mebourne Cup runner-up Lala Kiwi running 21.61sec and Indy Honey 21.85sec.
Dailly won the 2015 Traralgon Cup with the great Fernando Bale.
NSW raider More Sauce, a two-time G2 runner-up in his home state in the Black Top and Maitland Cup for owner/trainer/breeder Michelle Lill, will try to emulate his litter brother Robbie Rotten, winner of the recent G2 Warragul Cup, after a 21.66sec heat success.
GROUP-2 TRARALGON CUP FINAL
Wednesday 26 January, 2022 – 8.51pm
Box Dog Trainer
1 Lala Kiwi Andrea Dailly
2 Hill Top Jonah David Geall
3 Indy Honey Andrea Dailly
4 Earn The Answers Lyn Smith
5 Ferdinand Boy David Geall
6 Paua Of Janie Steven White
7 Typhoon Sammy Jason Thompson
8 More Sauce Michelle Lill
Reserves
9 Paua Of Buddy Steven White
10 Mr Fix It Jeff Britton
