Six brilliant heats of the Group 2 SJC Concreting Ballarat Cup will be staged on Friday night.
TAB has put up ‘whirlwind’ Typhoon Sammy $5.50 ‘All In’ favourite for the $50,000 to-the-winner event – “and rightly so”, according to The Watchdog.
But the expert form analyst also concedes the Group 2 Traralgon Cup and Group 2 Horsham Cup winner, which also holds the Bendigo 425m and Traralgon 395m track records, has a “tough heat”.
“He comes up against Compliance and Americano Miss … Typhoon Sammy can’t afford to make any mistakes.”
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The Watchdog considers Mr. Audacious, at $6, as “the one we all want to see”.
“Mr. Audacious is the new star on the rise. He comes up with box one and has slow beginners on his outside.
“If he can step on terms, he just has that brilliant pace, and they won’t be able to go with him in the first 150 metres. That’ll be the difference.
“I think a 24.60sec run could be on the cards. The track record really is in danger; this greyhound is that good. I can’t wait to see what he can do.”
“Mr. Audacious is the new star on the rise … The (450m) track record really is in danger; this greyhound is that good.”
– THE WATCHDOG
The Watchdog rates Hennessey, also at $6, as “probably the bet of the night”.
“He’s flying at the moment and box one should see him land on the ‘arm’.”
And he adds the reigning Ballarat Cup king, Ferdinand Boy, at $7.50, looks well placed in his heat.
The Watchdog’s $50 spend
$25 on Mr. Audacious to win at $6
$15 on Ferdinand Boy to win at $7.50
$10 on Black Avenger to win at $26
“He takes on Mepunga Mustang and we know he beat Typhoon Sammy at Geelong the other night.
“But he’s going to be giving Ferdinand Boy a bit of a head start, and that could be the difference.
“So, I think Ferdinand Boy gets through. Everything points to him making another country cup final.”
The Watchdog is also buoyant about “interesting runner” Black Avenger, at $26.
“(He recorded) 24.83sec at Shepparton last time when resuming. We’ve always known he has an enormous amount of ability.
“He showed last time out that he’s back, and back to his best. He can lead off the ‘red’ (Box 1) and he’ll take a power of beating.
“So, he could be the value in the series.”
WATCH: FERDINAND BOY (8) won the second of his three country cups last year in the Group 2 Ballarat Cup Final (450m) running 24.84 seconds on April 9. Results
