One ‘legend’ starred, and another suffered a shock defeat in Friday night’s heats of the Group 2 Viatek Warragul Cup (460m).
The undisputed headline act in the eight ‘must win’ heats was champion Wow She’s Fast, making her first appearance since claiming back-to-back victories in The Phoenix on December 17, where she became greyhound racing’s first $2 million earner.
Wow She’s Fast was looking to make amends for her defeat as an odds-on favourite in last year’s Warragul Cup heats when she exited box 8 as the dominant $1.70 elect in the fifth run-off.
Wow She’s Fast began well but was unable to cross Money Owes ($9.40), trained by Greg Berry, which kicked clear entering the home straight and upset the series favourite, scoring by 2.6 lengths in 25.63sec.
In qualifying for his first Group event, Money Owes improved his impressive record to 16 from 32, while the son of Beast Unleashed has won seven of his last nine starts, finishing second in the two defeats.
Money Owes was on debut at Warragul, and earlier in the night, another sprinter having his first start at the venue, Mobile Legend, produced the fastest qualifying performance.
Trained by Daryl Brennan and raced by twin brother Colin, Mobile Legend ($7.10), a son of 2018 Warragul Cup winner Aston Dee Bee, led all-the-way in heat two, romping home by 6.39 lengths in a Best Of Night 25.46sec.
It was Mobile Legend’s 14th win from 32 starts and next Friday’s $47,000 to-the-winner Cup Final will also be his first start in a Group event.
WATCH: “Mobile Legend has blitzed them!” MOBILE LEGEND (B7) set the pace in Friday night’s G2 Warragul Cup heats with a runaway 25.46sec victory at his Warragul debut.
Mobile Legend brought record-breaking speedster Unleash Collinda’s seven-race winning streak to an end, and the news didn’t get any better for champion trainer Jason Thompson in the next heat.
Thompson’s 2022 country cups king Typhoon Sammy finished at the rear of the field behind Mark Delbridge’s 25.56sec winner Landyn Bale.
Titan Blazer, trained by Daniel Gibbons, qualified for his second Warragul Cup Final after finishing best to claim a narrow 25.84sec success in the final heat.
The closest finish came in heat one, where Panadero Warrior, trained by Paul Abela and fastest qualifier for last year’s G2 Bendigo Cup Final, edged out G1 Hobart Thousand winner Fernando Mick in 25.70sec.
GROUP 2 WARRAGUL CUP HEAT WINNERS
(fastest to slowest)
25.46sec Mobile Legend
25.56sec Landyn Bale
25.62sec Matt’s Hope
25.63sec Dynamic Prince
25.63sec Money Owes
25.70sec Panadero Warrior
25.79sec High Tribe Rico
25.84sec Titan Blazer
Box two provided three heat winners.
Matt’s Hope, trained by Michelle Mallia, boosted his picket fence form-line to six straight with a 25.62sec success, Peter Presutto’s Dynamic Prince was victorious in 25.63sec, and High Tribe Rico, a half-brother to 2020 Melbourne Cup and Shepparton Cup hero Hard Style Rico, scored in 25.79sec for owner/trainer/breeder Luckie Karabitsakos.
The Warragul Cup is the second leg of GRV’s Gippsland Festival of Racing, which commenced with the G1 Sale Cup, won by Jarick Bale and trainer Mark Delbridge, and will conclude with the running of the G2 Traralgon Cup (450m) on Australia Day.
Photos by Clint Anderson
