The Group 2 Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup will be run on Sunday night. Here’s our preview of the final, including our tip to claim the $40,000 prize:
Good Odds Cobber | Frank Hurst
Best Bulli 474m Time: 25.96
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.82
Track & Distance Record: 4: 1-2-0
Box 1 History: 8: 7-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $2.90
Final Thought: ‘The Cob’ has been airborne so far in 2025 with last week’s heat defeat the only blemish on his record so far this year. He finished 1.5 lengths behind Tattooed in the second fastest qualifying time of the series, and you must think he’ll be better for the run after returning from a big QLD campaign that took up most of January. He’s won two Group 1 titles since he finished sixth in this race last year and is probably the best sprinter in the state. He has a remarkable Box 1 record and considering he’s so reliable early, he’s the deserved favourite ahead of Sunday.
Good Odds Cobber is a finalist for the 2024 Greyhound Of The Year award set to be decided next week
Talk About It | Kristy Sultana
Best Bulli 474m Time: 26.03
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.91
Track & Distance Record: 1: 1-0-0
Box 2 History: 3: 2-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $13
Final Thought: The sentimental favourite after news filtered out that owner Wayne Wakem is doing it tough in hospital at the moment. Talk About It’s heat win gave him an enormous boost and the son of Flying Ricciardo is drawn to produce a similar effort on Sunday. Connections know he has ability, but he will have to jump if he’s to feature in the finish and therein lies the problem as he’s not a reliable beginner. Showed great determination to run down Badger’s Beast in the preliminaries but he is the youngest in the race by six months and he’s also the least experienced. Gee it’d be a fairytale result if he could get up.
Final Thought: The 2024 Bendigo Cup finalist has been in fantastic form since joining the kennel of Peter Sims. Six starts in NSW for four wins and two minors reads well, with his exceptional form on the U turn circuits of Bulli, Temora, Bendigo and Warragul over the last 12 months holding him in good stead for this final. A recent winner in 29.53 at Wenty Park suggests the trip is no issue, but after running third in his heat behind Tattooed and Good Odds Cobber, he will need to jump better if he’s to turn the tables.
Ali Tango | Joseph Mcfadyen
Best Bulli 474m Time: 26.14
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.86
Track & Distance Record: 1: 0-1-0
Box 4 History: 2: 1-0-0
Ladbrokes Price: $27
Final Thought: Joe McFadyen returns to the Bulli Gold Cup final twelve months after Nangar Jim finished second in the race. This time he brings Ali Tango to the decider and although this dog isn’t the same calibre as his former kennelmate, he does possess similar early burn when he gets it right. Ali Tango has run first section times of 5.44 at Wenty Park and 4.91 at The Gardens to lead and win races in great time, but he looks poorly boxed in the blue with speed underneath and immediately outside him in Badger’s Beast. ‘The Macca’ winner deserves his place but he’d need luck and a few lengths to take this out.
Ali Tango also ran third in the Mid North Coast Cup late last year
Badger’s Beast | Peter Lagogiane
Best Bulli 474m Time: 26.14
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.78
Track & Distance Record: 1: 0-1-0
Box 5 History: 3: 2-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $8
Final Thought: Can ping the lids and that was on show in the heats where he led by four lengths at one stage. Eventually tired and run down by Talk About It, but he’s another greyhound who has been flying over the last six months. 11 wins from his last 13 starts for one of the best kennels in the state and such was his form on the one turn track at Maitland through the second half of 2024, Team Lagogiane took him down for a crack at the Bendigo Cup where he ran third behind eventual runner-up, Mile A Minute. The three knocks - Box 5? Can he run the trip? And he’s only had one race start at Bulli?
Tattooed | Anthony Azzopardi
Best Bulli 474m Time: 25.85
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.74
Track & Distance Record: 1: 1-0-0
Box 6 History: 4: 2-1-1
Ladbrokes Price: $4.40
Final Thought: ‘Ant’ might as well move back to NSW fulltime considering his ability to produce these star one turners. Tattooed was brilliant in the heats, punching up underneath the fast-starting Good Odds Cobber and holding the fence through the bend. He gave a great kick halfway up the straight as well to clock the BOD and make it five wins on the bounce for connections. Tattooed is no stranger to feature races up here, with placings in 2024 in both the Goulburn Cup (second) and Temora Cup (third). He turned three in January so he’s right in the sweet spot of his career and he could get a great cart into the race on the back of Badger’s Beast. Big danger.
Final Thought: Jason Magri took all before him in 2024 with a dominant season to win the most races of any NSW trainer. He’s started 2025 in similar form and he’s got another chance to win a big feature with Chief Lightning making yet another major final. This dog ran third in the Group 2 Maitland Cup in December, before finishing third again in the Group 2 Gosford Cup in January. He’s already a winner of 16 races from 29 starts but he will have his work cut out for him in a field like this. Normally a reliable beginner who can give a great sight on the arm, the concern here is he won’t be able to cross any of the dogs to his inside if they all jump to the best of their ability.
Final Thought: Probably the run of the heats considering how much strife he found in the opening half of the race behind Talk About It. He looked like he was about to loop the chasing pack and begin the Badger’s Beast hunt last week until he was galloped on from behind and shuffled back into the group. He still managed to find clear air in the straight though and powered to the line to only go down by 2.25 lengths. He’s the reigning Group 2 Warragul Cup champion and any dog that can knock off Flying Zulu deserves the utmost respect. Stack of pace underneath him but his pink record is pretty good and he might enjoy getting room to move down the outside.
Tips
1. Good Odds Cobber
6. Tattooed
8. Pass The Buck
2. Talk About It
Previous winners:
2024 | Nangar Larry | Andy Lord
2023 | Panadero Warrior | Paul Abela
2022 | Castle Warrior | Mark Wilcox
2021 | Barcia Blue Boy | Peter Lagogiane
2020 | Pindari Express | Tracey Scruse
2019 | Pindari Express | Tracey Scruse
2018 | Ritza Lenny | Mark Gatt
2017 | Falcon’s Fury | Paul Braddon
2016 | Black Bear Lee | Ruth Matic
2015 | Kayda Shae | Kelly Bravo
The Group 2 Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup, worth $40,000 to the winner, will go off in Race 8 on Sunday night’s program on the South Coast.
