Trainer eyes rare double
REIGNING Australian Cup winner Hecton Bale will be aiming to complete a rare double when he lines up in tonight’s $214,500 TAB Topgun (525m) at The Meadows.
Only one greyhound has claimed the Australian Cup/ Topgun double — Tasmanian star Buckle Up Wes in 2014 — but if there is one thing in Hecton Bale’s favour it is the box draw, according to trainer Andrea Dailly.
Hecton Bale is the third favourite at $4.20 after drawing box eight, the same draw he had in the Australian Cup, and his trainer is hoping that history can repeat.
“The pink (box eight) suits him well even though it can be a difficult draw at The Meadows. He’s a little bit tardy early and with a bit of luck they’ll all go to the rail and he can get a clear run around the outside of them,” Dailly said.
While Hecton Bale is renowned for his strength rather that his early speed, having a quick beginner (Real Simple) drawn beside him in box seven could work to his advantage.
“I remember Hasten Slowly crashing to the rail from box seven in the Australian Cup and, as a result, Hecton Bale, being drawn in box eight, got the best run you’ve ever seen. It would be nice if that happened again,” Dailly said.
Hecton Bale proved unstoppable in his sensational five-length Australian Cup win in March, halting the clock at 29.53sec, one of the fastest times ever recorded at The Meadows. And while he hasn’t won a race in 11 starts dating back to June, Dailly said her star has been knocking on the door.
“He got beaten in a semifinal of the Million Dollar Chase in Sydney two starts ago, but he was unlucky because it was just a bob of heads at the finish line that cost him. With a bit of luck he would have won that race, so it’s not like he’s racing badly. You just need a bit of luck in big races,” she said.
Dailly also trains the Topgun favourite, Dyna Patty ($2.60), whom she said is “perfectly drawn” in box one.