The Goulburn Greyhound Racing Club’s flagship feature events will be run and won on Friday, October 21 with two stellar fields set for the G3 Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup and Goulburn Workers Club Fireball.
Prizemoney for both events has been increased in 2022 with the winner of the Cup set to take home $40,000 while the Fireball champion will pocket $25,000 as the sport continues to go from strength to strength in the State’s south.
The Jason Fletcher-trained Aston Barak - the winner of seven of his nine starts at the track and trip - will start favourite in the Cup after qualifying fastest for Friday’s final in a time of 24.49.
“He got the start right and went really well [in the heats] … he’s got a good run to the first corner [at Goulburn] and he gets some high speed up,” Fletcher said.
“On the tight tracks it’s only a five second run to the corner and he’s been drawing off the track so it’s been hard to get across real good dogs. Every dog in this final has earned their spot and they’ll all be hard to beat.”
Aston Barak also took out the inaugural running of the GRNSW Southern Stars Series on the track back in July.
The best of the local hopes is former 440m track record holder Mellcat Big Boy, with trainer Johnny Mellon saying victory in his hometown race would be “a dream come true”.
“The dog is good and I’d be pretty damn happy if we got up. I don’t get too worked up over things but this would mean a lot. I don’t really like the box draw [Mellcat Big Boy will jump from Box 4] but we live with what we get given, simple as that.” Mellon said.
“Aston Barak is the biggest danger but any of six are really strong chances and I’m looking forward to the day.”
Cawdor-based Ray Webster will be trying to become the first trainer in history to win both the Fireball and the Cup, and he’ll be attempting to achieve the feat with the same dog.
Father Rick took out the 2021 edition of the Fireball over 350m, but will need a fair slice of luck if he is to claim Friday’s 440m Cup final.
“Box 6 isn’t ideal for him but Aston Barak [Box 5] could cut left and we probably need him to do that again. I don’t think we can begin as good as some of these, maybe missing the start and running for luck on the rail is his best chance in a very hard final,” Webster said.
The Goulburn Workers Club Fireball will be run at 5:02pm, with talented short courser Apollo Speed for Lisa and Dave Worthy looking tough to topple.
The fastest qualifier for the final has won 20 races at the track and trip and Worthy believes a win on Friday would be “great reward” for Apollo Speed’s consistent Goulburn performances.
“If he gets in front he just keeps kicking and he’s nearly back to his best after the injury [in August]. He should be cherry ripe this week,” Worthy said.
“He’s drawn very well [Box 2], he likes the inside and hopefully he will lead from there. If he comes out running, they’re not going to cross him but Slingshot Rusty [Darren Sultana] goes alright and has been performing pretty well, and David Geall’s dog [Hill Top Jonnie] always goes good.”
Victorian David Geall will rug up a hopeful in each race, with the 2019 Cup winner [with Emerald Rainbow] hoping the 14-hour round trip will be worth his while once again.
Ferdinand Boy has drawn Box 8 in the Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup final for Geall and certainly has the class to take out another one bend feature race.
The winner of more than $500,000 in prizemoney already has G2 victories at single turn tracks like Ballarat, Shepparton and Warrnambool on his resume and Geall says a good start is all that stands between his charge and another memorable run.
“I still think he’s going as quick as ever once he gets going but he’s lost his timing out of the boxes,” Geall said. “We’re just hopeful he can jump with the field and if he can, he’s a good chance.
“Aston Barak of course is the biggest danger, he’s bulletproof at the moment. Agland Luia also went super last week and he’s got a very good win strike rate.”
Local trainers Neil Staines [Yass], Denice Warren [Goulburn] and Chloe Bilal [Wollogorang] will all rug up feature finalists on Friday as well, with Wiradjuri Jack [Staines] and Mowski Star [Warren] contesting the Cup, while Lime Rock Park [Bilal] will start from Box 1 in the Fireball.
The 11-race card kicks off at Goulburn at 3:02pm. The Goulburn Workers Club Fireball is Race 7 on the program and the Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup will be run at 5:02pm in Race 9.
