Sport
6 March, 2024
Strong field for Horsham Cup
Friday night sees the running of the 46th edition of the time-honored Horsham Cup over the 485m journey, with the victor taking home a cool $55,000.
Four heats of the cup were run and won last Friday night and we saw some scintillating performances from some of the best greyhounds Australia has to offer.
Come down and see the fastest sport on four legs up close and personal, entry is free, kid’s activities aplenty, and some great live music from Aaron Murray.
In years gone by the cup has been won by some champion greyhounds, greyhounds that
have gone on to win major feature races all over the country through to Greyhounds that
have moved successfully to the breeding scene as stud dogs following their careers.
At Group two level the Horsham Cup is a highly desired race on the racing calendar and tonight we will crown another champion of the track.
Last Friday Heat one was a head bobbing finish with Warrnambool trainer Steve Bruce
causing an upset with Grand Tourer holding out Funny Old Fellow by the smallest of margins
stopping the clock in 27:323, with Funny Old Fellow for Peter Craig running 27:326, half a
nose the margin.
One of the hottest greyhounds in the land then stepped out in heat two, Explicit for Jason
Thompson was simply outstanding jumping straight to the front and was never in doubt
winning by 3 lengths in a flying 26:92sec. Shima Shadow for Tom Dailly worked his way in to the race really nicely from the wide draw of box eight running second and qualifying for the final and still clocking the nice time of 27:13sec.
The Thompson camp then made it a race to race double when the exciting Verdi found the
lead from the middle box by the first corner, only moderately away Verdi’s work going into
the corner was outstanding and put the race to bed by the time the greyhounds straightened
for home winning by four lengths in 27:20sec.
War Time Novelty for Gavin Gledhill was extremely strong in the run to the line and presented Gavin with his first ever cup finalist at group level. Local hope Spring Port for Andrea Gurry ran a super race just being ran down for second in the shadows of the post, Spring Port will now contest the Horsham Cup Consultation.
Heat four saw new kid on the block Tangela Bale explode for the second week in a row at
Horsham, last week she went within half a length of the track record, this week she flew the
lids and the race was over by the time the greyhounds entered the corner, splitting a track
record 13:56 second split it was a matter of times and margins in the run to the line and
Tangela Bale stopped the clock in a flying 26:75sec, just under two lengths off the track
record.
Nature Strip for David Geall was an eye-catching run in to second position clocking
26:88sec himself which made him the second fastest qualifier and having drawn the coveted
box one in the final will be one of the main chances.
All third and fourth placegetters in the heats went through to the Horsham Cup Consolation
Final and that field on it’s own could stand up as a group class final with greyhounds of the
ilk of Aussie Rocks (Melbourne Cup Winner), and Fernando Phil (Two time Group 1 finalist)
just to name a couple, local dog Spring Port will carry the flag for Horsham and Nhill exiting
the three box for Andrea Gurry.
The club will also run the final of the Sylvia Penny Memorial, with locals desperate to win the race that they see as one of the most important on the Horsham Greyhound Club’s Racing calendar, with Sylvia a stalwart of the club for near on forty years as a volunteer donating her time to the club from inception in 1973. Garry George (Disguise) and Andrea Gurry (Miss Verdansky) both have a runner in the final.
We would love to see as many on course as possible with race one kicking off at around 7pm.