Form expert The Watchdog is boldly taking on newly-crowned track record holder Mr. Audacious in Saturday night’s $47,000 to-the-winner Group 2 CKH Painting Shepparton Cup Final.
Like the rest of the Australian greyhound racing public, The Watchdog was suitably impressed with the sensational 24.66sec heat victory of Mr. Audacious, which smashed the previous record of 24.75sec, set by Ferdinand Boy in the 2021 Cup final.
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TAB currently has Mr. Audacious listed as $3.40 favourite ahead of first reserve Paua Of Buddy at $3.50, defending champion Ferdinand Boy at $3.70 and Warragul Cup victor Robbie Rotten at $4.40.
But while Mr. Audacious was able to navigate a path from Box 6 in his heat, The Watchdog is concerned it could be a different story from the same draw in a hot final.
“Ferdinand Boy is going as well as he was 12 months ago when he broke the record in the final.”
– THE WATCHDOG
“I know he won his heat from Box 6, but there’s a different speed map around him on Saturday night and he can’t afford to make too many mistakes,” he said.
“If he steps away, he wins. He’s a star in the making, I just think this may be a little bit before his time and the $3.40 is under the odds.”
The Watchdog’s $20 spend
$10 Trifecta on 3,8 / 3,4,7,8 / 1,3,4,5,7,8 (41.66% return)
$6 Exacta on 3,8 / 3,4,7,8 (100% return)
$4 Trifecta on 3 / 4,7,8 / 1,4,5,7,8 (33.33% return)
The Watchdog gives three-time country cup winner Ferdinand Boy (Box 3) an excellent chance of going back-to-back, while he’s also bullish about the prospects of Robbie Rotten (Box 8), which ran second to Mr. Audacious in his heat, but also broke the previous track record.
“Ferdinand Boy was just brilliant last week. This dog is going as well as he was 12 months ago when he broke the record in the final,” The Watchdog said.
“I think Robbie Rotten is a huge chance, out wide. I know Mr. Audacious beat him last week, but he did run 24.72sec in running second, so the dog is clearly flying.”
The Watchdog is sure to raise plenty of eyebrows by leaving Mr. Audacious out of his exotic investments in his suggested $20 spend, standing Ferdinand Boy and Robbie Rotten out as the winning chances, while he’s labelled $13 chance Substantial (Box 7) as the value runner.
“He (Substantial) turned in a big performance to win his heat and he goes well at Shepparton. He’ll be very strong in the run home and even if he doesn’t win, he can definitely hit the scoreboard at the nice odds.”
Group 2 SHEPPARTON CUP FINAL (450m)
Shepparton, Saturday 8:25pm
First prize $47,000
1 DREAM WIZARD (Melanie Lithgow, Devon Meadows VIC)
2 DYNAMIC PRINCE (Peter Presutto, Devon Meadows VIC)
3 FERDINAND BOY (David Geall, Lara VIC)
4 COMPLIANCE (Karen Pitt, Pearcedale VIC)
5 IDOLIZE (Peter Presutto, Devon Meadows VIC) 
6 MR. AUDACIOUS (Rachael Busuttil, Kilmany VIC)
7 SUBSTANTIAL (Anthony Azzopardi, Rowsley VIC)
8 ROBBIE ROTTEN (Kayla Cottrell, Pearcedale VIC)
Reserves
9 PAUA OF BUDDY (Steve White, Buln Buln East VIC)
10 ORSON MICK (Jessica Sharp, Avalon VIC)
WATCH: FERDINAND BOY (8) won the first of his three Group 2 country cups last year in the Shepparton Cup Final (450m) in a then-track record 24.75 seconds on March 20. Results
