Lala Kiwi is striving to achieve something none of Andrea Dailly’s other five Australian Cup winners have been able to; go on to win the Group 1 Sky Racing Perth Cup (520m).
With the Perth Cup following immediately after the Australian Cup, four of ‘Team Dailly’s’ five Australian Cup victors have ventured west, striving without success to complete a double only accomplished by NSW champion Tenthill Doll in 1996.
Dyna Lachlan (2010) and Spud Regis (2013) were eliminated in the heats, while Hecton Bale (2018) and Dyna Patty (2019) both ran third in the Perth Cup final.
Dyna Double One was retired after winning the 2016 Australian Cup, but won the G3 Perth Cup Consolation in 2015.
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In pursuit of a second Perth Cup crown, having won the race with Sun Hero in 2005, the Daillys adopted a different tact and sent Lala Kiwi over to WA ahead of the heats to contest last Saturday’s Perth Cup Prelude.
Drawn in Box 1, Lala Kiwi started $1.50 and took advantage of the rails alley in a narrow victory over Vice Grip, which started his career in Victoria and is raced by the Vic-based Four Frothys syndicate, in a Best Of Night 29.72sec.
“In the past, our dogs have gone straight into the heats, without a look at Cannington, which is why I decided to send Lala Kiwi over a bit earlier this time,” explained co-trainer Tom Dailly, who moved from WA to Victoria 30 years ago.
“We had the opportunity to run her in the Prelude, so she went over last Thursday, and it worked out well.
WATCH: LALA KIWI (1) tuned up for the G1 Perth Cup heats with a narrow victory in the Cup Prelude at Cannington last Saturday, holding VICE GRIP (6) and GOT THE SUGAR (2) at bay in a BON 29.72sec.
“She did miss the start a bit, which can happen first start at Cannington, so hopefully she’ll come out better this week.
“I was tossing up whether or not to send Zippy Tesla over as well, but he had a couple of little problems and wasn’t quite 100 per cent, so I decided to keep him home and concentrate on getting him ready for the Golden Easter Egg.”
Chasing a fourth straight win, Lala Kiwi moves to Box 6 for the first of Saturday’s six Cup heats (Race 5 at 11.22pm), with TAB installing her at $1.50.
She shares top billing with Vice Grip in TAB’s ‘All In’ market at $4.
“She’s drawn Box 6 and it’ll probably be a bit harder field this week, but I’m hoping she gets some room to move, and we’ll see what happens,” said Dailly.
Victoria’s two other high profile Cup contenders have likewise drawn wide.
Kelly Bravo’s Australian Cup runner-up Paddy Wants Pats was also allocated the green rug in heat two, while Daniel Gibbons’ G1 Silver Chief placegetter Titan Blazer will exit Box 7 in the fourth qualifier.
The Dailly kennel also sent star stayer Gypsy Wyong to Perth for the G1 Galaxy (715m), with the three-time G1 winner finishing second in last weekend’s Prelude, run down late by We The People.
Gypsy Wyong has drawn Box 1 in the last of four Galaxy heats (Race 4 at 11.03pm), where she’s $1.50 favourite, while she sits on the second line of ‘All In’ betting at $4, behind fellow Victorian Mepunga Ruby and Mambo Monelli, both at $3.50.
“Her run was good last Saturday,” Dailly said.
“She’s drawn ‘the red’ on Saturday, which will suit her down to the ground, and hopefully she can get to the front a bit easier this week, because she’s not overly strong.”
Pawnote: Victorian-trained sprinters have won the last three Perth Cups, with Correy Grenfell victorious twice, courtesy of Orson Allen (2019) and Tiggerlong Tonk (2021), while the ill-fated Simon Told Helen was successful in 2020.
Lala Kiwi (1) prevailed in a three-way finish to the Perth Cup Prelude last Saturday.
