The 2024 Group 2 Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup final will be contested on Tuesday, January 2 on the Central Coast and a hot field has been assembled for the first NSW feature race of 2024.
Pre-race favourite Zipping Novak was scratched from the final on Tuesday morning and all of a sudden, the race has been blown wide open. Here’s our runner-by-runner preview of the eight hopefuls:
Has Ability | Stu Hazlett
Best Gosford 515m Time: 29.35
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 4.50
Track & Distance Record: 2: 1-0-1
Box 1 History: 3: 3-0-0
Ladbrokes Price: $9.50
Has Ability is the big beneficiary of the scratching of Zipping Novak, with the 2023 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase finalist coming into the prized Box 1 alley - a draw he's undefeated from in three starts. Looked to be really warming up late in the heats and flashed home to finish third behind Rocket Riot and Mortified, the time of 29.48 over a length outside his track and trip PB of 29.35 which he set when winning at the track on December 17 (replay below). Has been racing over both the sprint and middle distance trips of late and will probably be the strongest dog in the field to the line, and with the inside draw certain to help him, he will be there or thereabouts when the whips are cracking.
Deserves a feature race win I reckon and this looms as one of her best chances to join sister Quantifiable and brother Modern Swinger with big race scalps. Had a niggly back half of 2023 but showed her trademark early speed in the heats to fly to the front from the wide draw but her lack of racing over the Christmas period probably told late as Rocket Riot overpowered her. She does her best work out on the arm so she’s boxed to make her presence felt in the early stages, but Chris O’Brien will be gripping the lead tightly once he locks her away after she dwelt in both the Group 1 National Futurity and the G1 Dapto Megastar finals last year from perfect draws. Meets a tough field of current and future stars but the scratching of Zipping Novak makes her the one to beat.
Mortified is a daughter of Golden Easter Egg finalist Banjo Tifia
Youngest of the finalists and will only turn two next week. Bombed the start in his heat behind Zipping Novak (who is a late scratching from the final) but showed great field sense to weave his way through and find clear air to run into second. He debuted in the 2023 Zoom Top Maiden series which has a history of unearthing some talented types, and he really held his form well in the back half of 2023 with nine wins between August and December. This type of race may have come too quickly for him with only 14 starts to his name, but the kennel did have success in this race last year when Mia She’s Fast ran second to Punter’s Bandit in just her 13th career outing. Well drawn and has shown good early speed at Richmond and Wentworth Park, but has two guns inside him and two rising stars outside. Keen to see how he goes with a better getaway and think he can run well.
Good Odds Cobber is out of Group 1 producer, Good Odds Meghan
Nangar Jim | Jo McFadyen
Best Gosford 515m Time: 29.47
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 4.44
Track & Distance Record: 1: 0-1-0
Box 4 History: 3: 2-1-0 Price: $5
It’s been a big few months for Nangar Jim and an even bigger year for Team McFadyen. An inaugural Group race success in the Maitland Cup last month (replay below) for both dog and trainer saw McFadyen overwhelmed with emotion. If he were to back it up with a Group 2 Gosford Cup triumph, I reckon we’d have a bit of moisture on the Central Coast loam. The scary prospect for his opponents is Nangar Jim is still far from the finished product after only turning two in October. Since joining the new kennel in July, he’s barely put a paw wrong as well. He’s won 10 times and his only finish outside the quinella was in a heat of the G2 Blacktop at The Gardens where he had no luck. The heat run of 29.47 behind tearaway leader My Hepburn had merit and considering that was his first start since the Maitland win on December 8, he should improve.
Really furnished into a super sprinter in the second half of 2023 under the tutelage of Nev Brown. Eyes To Eyes hasn’t missed the frame in his last 10 starts, with that run including six wins and a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Christmas Gift behind Zipping Caleb. The second to Al’s Entity (who was coming off a third in the G1 Vic Peters Classic behind Zipping Remus) in the Bulli Final of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase was a decent form reference at the time and the son of Orson Allen has just gone from strength to strength since. Box 5 would normally cruel many greyhounds in big feature finals, but this guy has dynamic early speed, is unbeaten in three goes from yellow and has improved on the clock in all five of his Gosford starts since last July (29.88 to 29.67 to 29.53 to 29.25 to 29.10 in last week’s heat). Just needs a clean getaway and now that Zipping Novak is out, he’s the favourite to take out the Cup.
Didn’t really stand a chance in her heat after Eyes To Eyes exploded out of the boxes. In saying that, she quickly found second spot and ran her usual honest race. She even looked a winning hope at one stage up the back before Eyes To Eyes quickly cut back down onto the rail to slam the door shut. A Group 3 Goulburn Cup winner back in October (replay below), her versatility helped her have a mammoth 2023 season with 13 wins at four different tracks across 297m, 365m and 520m. Last week’s run was her debut at the circuit too and she was first up after more than a month off which means she should improve a stack in Tuesday’s final. The litter sister to Mortified will still need a lot of luck from Box 6 to figure in the finish.
Blinding speed inside and out and that will make it hard for Rocket Riot to win this race from Box 7. The heat win was super though, parking off the early speed set by Mortified and climbing all over her heels as they approached the home bend. He looked to stumble slightly going for a gap and lost a length or two but quickly regained his composure to punch his way along the fence and run all over the top of her. Beat home some other handy types as well (Zipping Orlando, Has Ability) and think that heat had the most depth. Spent a month or so down in Victoria under the guidance of Jason Thompson and that must have had good effect on a greyhound we’re tipping to have a stellar 2024. Special race for the kennel for obvious reasons.
Can she cross them? Zipping Novak coming out of the race this morning certainly makes it easier, and if she does, she’s got the runs on the board at Gosford to scoot along in front and be awfully hard to chase down. If she can’t make it to the fence, she probably can’t win. Her opening split in the heats of 4.29 was scintillating (first section record is held by Reflections at 4.24), but even if she can repeat that incredible feat, Eyes To Eyes ran 4.30 to the first mark in the preliminaries and may just be able to keep her off the rail anyway. Trainer Sue Smith said during the week 515m basically sees her all out of petrol, so if you do have a ticket on her as they round the final bend, you’ll be holding your breath late. A stellar record at track and trip and comes off a recent third placing in the Group 3 Christmas Gift. An underrated sprinter.
