Excitement machine Rejuvenate is ‘as fresh as a daisy’ leading into the Group 2 Sportsbet Ballarat Cup series (450m), which kicks off with five enthralling heats on Friday night.
Prepared at Burramine by Paul Brown, Rejuvenate (Box 4) – a winner of 16 races, with two seconds, from 19 starts – will contest Heat 1 (Race 3, 7.49pm).
The incumbent Shepparton 450m track record holder (24.59sec), Rejuvenate bypassed the recent G2 Shepparton Cup series in preference for a tilt at the G1 Golden Easter Egg series.
But that plan went astray, even before the heats, as Brown informed.
“Anyway, I think it’s better for him heading to Ballarat refreshed.”
“I took him to trial at Wentworth Park, but he knuckled over coming out of the boxes and pulled up a little bit sore.
“I didn’t want to risk him in the Egg heats, so I gave him some time off.
“Anyway, I think it’s better for him heading to Ballarat refreshed.
“And his box draw doesn’t really worry me, it’s how he comes out that’s the concern.”
Rejuvenate put in a super trial over 385 metres at Shepparton on Monday. He semaphored a sizzling 21.36sec – less than three lengths off the track record, held by Blue Tungsten (21.195sec).
A 2022 G1 Silver Chief finalist, Rejuvenate has won his past six starts including a flying 29.56sec (Best) win at The Meadows on March 11.
A week earlier, he established a new track record in the Shepparton Classic. Last year, he also won the G3 Northern Districts Cup.
Rejuvenate (Nov ’20 Hooked On Scotch x Zall Good) is a prohibitive $1.45 favourite to win his heat on Sportsbet’s market.
Click HERE for Sportsbet’s Ballarat Cup heats market.
And he’s $3.30F on the ‘All In’ betting chart, ahead of Lektra Heckler and Unleash Collinda – both at $7 – which quinellaed the Shepparton Cup last Saturday night. Then follows Salad Dodger ($8) and Kelsey Bale ($10).
Rejuvenate won’t be the only headline act in the heats, which comprise a myriad of stars.
Four-time country cups king Ferdinand Boy (Box 7), which contests his 100th start, will also be a star attraction.
He’s already won 52 races in a stellar career and won last start at Horsham (410m) in a slick 22.96sec coming off a five-month break.
Click HERE for Sportsbet’s Ballarat Cup ‘All In’ market.
Ferdinand Boy lines up in Heat 3 (Race 5, 8.27pm) and is at the enticing quote of $4, behind Quinlan Bale ($3) and Hot Scotch ($3.70) – a litter brother of Rejuvenate.
Winner of the 2021 Ballarat Cup and fifth in last year’s event, Ferdinand Boy is $13 in nominal betting.
Other heat favourites are Kelsey Bale (Box 1 – $2.80) – Heat 2 (Race 4, 8.08pm); Unleash Collinda (Box 2 – $2.35) – Heat 4 (Race 6, 8.48pm); Salad Dodger (Box 1 – $2.30) – Heat 5 (Race 7, 9.08pm).
WATCH: REJUVENATE (B6) produces a ‘spirited’ 6.3L victory in 29.56sec (Best) at The Meadows on March 11.
