Ferdinand Boy eyes fourth Cup crown

Editor BOAY

Country cups king Ferdinand Boy will take aim at a remarkable fourth title in the Group 2 SEN Track Traralgon Cup (395m) on Australia Day, next Wednesday, after returning to his brilliant best in Friday night’s heats.

Eight ‘winner-take-all’ heats were conducted on the world-first ‘J-curve’ track, which hosted its first official race meeting last Saturday, with Ferdinand Boy, which won the Ballarat, Healesville and Shepparton Cups in 2021, claiming heat three in 21.65sec.

Ferdinand Boy was the second leg of a heat double for David Geall, after Healesville Cup placegetter Hill Top Jonah won the opening heat in 21.77sec.

Other highlights from Friday night’s Cup heats included:

  • Bendigo Cup placegetter and track record holder Typhoon Sammy was easily the fastest heat winner, setting the time standard in the final heat with an electrifying 21.53s performance, his 22nd win from 33 starts. Trainer Jason Thompson’s wife Seona prepared the most recent Traralgon Cup winner, Poke The Bear, in 2018.
  • Andrea Dailly also claimed a heat double, courtesy of Mebourne Cup runner-up Lala Kiwi running 21.61sec and Indy Honey 21.85sec. Dailly won the 2015 Traralgon Cup with the great Fernando Bale.
  • NSW raider More Sauce, a two-time G2 runner-up in his home state in the Black Top and Maitland Cup for owner/trainer/breeder Michelle Lill, will try to emulate his litter brother Robbie Rotten, winner of the recent G2 Warragul Cup, after a 21.66sec heat success.

2022 TRARALGON CUP (395m)
Wednesday 26 January – First prize: $47,000

  1. LALA KIWI, Andrea Dailly
  2. HILL TOP JONAH, David Geall
  3. INDY HONEY, Andrea Dailly
  4. EARN THE ANSWERS, Lyn Smith
  5. FERDINAND BOY, David Geall
  6. PAUA OF JANIE, Steven Bruce White
  7. TYPHOON SAMMY, Jason Thompson
  8. MORE SAUCE, Michelle Lill

Reserves

  1. PAUA OF BUDDY (1R), Steven Bruce White
  2. Keycap ten MR FIX IT (2R), Jeff Britton

HEAT WINNERS
(Fastest to slowest)

  • 21.53sec Typhoon Sammy
  • 21.61sec Lala Kiwi
  • 21.62sec Earn The Answers
  • 21.65sec Ferdinand Boy
  • 21.66sec More Sauce
  • 21.67sec Paua Of Janie
  • 21.77sec Hill Top Jonah
  • 21.85sec Indy Honey

VIDEO REPLAYS

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 1

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 1
HILL TOP JONAH (B3) became the first Traralgon Cup heat winner on the new track.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 2

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 2
PAUA OF JANIE (B6) only needed a little bit of space early to make it into her first Country Cup.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 3

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 3
FERDINAND BOY (B5) makes it into Country Cup number five.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 4

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 4
MORE SAUCE (B4) overcame early bother to make it into the 2022 Traralgon Cup, representing NSW.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 5

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 5
LALA KIWI (B1) and her curly tail, pushed through to make it into her second Country Cup.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 6

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 6
Local EARN THE ANSWERS (B2), caused an upset defeating Paua Of Buddy to earn his rug in the

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 7

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 7
INDY HONEY (B7) was on the money, leading from start to finish giving Team Dailly their second contender in the 2022 Traralgon Cup.

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 8

SEN Track Traralgon Cup Heat 8
TYPHOON SAMMY (B4) stopped the clock in a sizzling 21.53sec over the 395m to win his Traralgon Cup heat.

PHOTO GALLERY

Race 4

Race 4
Hill Top Jonah

Race 5

Race 5
Paua Of Janie

Race 6

Race 6
Ferdinand Boy

Race 7

Race 7
More Sauce

Race 8

Race 8
Lala Kiwi

Race 9

Race 9
Earn The Answers

Race 10

Race 10
Indy Honey

Race 11

Race 11
Typhoon Sammy

Photos by Clint Anderson

Related posts