The Group 2 Triple M Bendigo Cup series kicks off with eight sensational heats over 425 metres on Sunday.
The fixture is a promoter’s dream. No doubt, the Bendigo GRA would be ecstatic with the quality of entrants as they comprise a raft of group race performers plus several track record holders.
Below is a summation of each heat:
Heat 1 (Race 1 – 11.57am)
Appears a tussle between strike rate stars Tinker Craig (Box 1) and Zipping Walter Box 4), who have both won 10 races from 15 starts, and recent G1 Harrison-Dawson runner-up Jax Bale (Box 5).
Tinker Craig is undefeated in two starts with a 23.67sec PB at Bendigo, while Zipping Walter boasts a 23.58sec PB and Jax Bale a 23.85sec PB.
Heat 2 (Race 2 – 12.12pm)
Looks an open affair, with the main chances being Kipling (Box 6), Bound To Succeed (Box 3), Yozo Bale (Box 1) and Faithy Bale (Box 4).
Kipling recently broke Horsham’s 410m track record (22.84sec) and has won his past five starts. He’s notched 15 wins from 23 starts, including a 23.61sec PB at Bendigo.
Bound To Succeed has 14 wins from 22 starts to his credit, and has won two from three at Bendigo with a flying 23.44sec PB.
A winner of 10 races from 24 starts, Yozo Bale was a last-start finalist in the Winter Cup at Cranbourne and has won three of his past four.
Faithy Bale has won 13 races from 29 starts, including four from four out of Box 4.
Heat 3 (Race 3 – 12.34pm)
It’s hard to go past G2 Warrnambool Cup winner Zambora Smokey (Box 6). He’s won 15 races from 21 starts, including 11 of his past 13. And he defeated Australia’s No. 1 sprinter Simon Told Helen in the Warrnambool Cup.
Heat 4 (Race 5 – 1.09pm)
Aston Dynamo (Box 6) will take a power of beating given his ultra-consistent form and solid Bendigo record. He’s won 11 races from 18 starts and is two from two at Bendigo with a scintillating 23.48sec PB. He’s also two from two out of Box 6.
Heat 5 (Race 6 – 1.29pm)
Potential superstar Paua Of Oscar (Box 4) emerges as the testing material. He’s the equal 400m track record holder at Warragul (22.07sec) and has won six races from eight starts, including the past four in succession. He’s also two from two at Bendigo with a sizzling 23.49sec PB.
Heat 6 (Race 7 – 1.45pm)
G2 Horsham Cup winner Tiggerlong Tonk (Box 5) and Bendigo 425m track record holder (23.37sec) Jim Zarr Dashian (Box 4) should stage a battle royal.
The only greyhound that has been Tiggerlong Tonk’s nemesis lately is Simon Told Helen, while there’s no disputing Jim Zarr Dashian’s natural brilliance – albeit, he can be enigmatic at times.
WATCH: Jim Zarr Dashian (4) set a new 425m track record of 23.37sec at Bendigo on April 24.
Heat 7 (Race 8 – 2.02pm)
Hard Style Rico (Box 1) is a three-time G1 finalist and won the G2 Shepparton Cup. He also set a new 450m track record (24.77sec) in a Shepparton Cup heat.
He only needs to put his best paw forward to give this race a real shake!
Heat 8 (Race 9 – 2.22pm)
Shima Shine (Box 8) is an unbelievable talent and is back to his brilliant best. He’s a dual G1 finalist and has won 15 races from 24 starts. He also relishes a wide draw, being three from five out of Box 8, including an airborne 23.44sec PB at Bendigo.
