They say if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Well Good Odds Cobber proved that old proverb right on Sunday evening as he took out the Group 2 Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup final, 12-months after finishing sixth in the 2024 final.
The Frank Hurst-prepared star adding another title to his ever-growing resume as he was too good for one of the best final fields ever assembled on the Bulli U-Turn.
“It was a great performance,” a proud Hurst said post-race.
Good Odds Cobber with Frank and Tracy Hurst after winning the Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup
“There were eight dogs in that race and in their last five starts they all had three or four wins [each]. Eight very good dogs, eight very good trainers and we came up with the one, which gave us a really good chance. We were able to take full advantage of it and it’s a pleasure to win the race.”
“He doesn’t [give up the fence], that’s why he’s so good. Once he gets to the front, he’s hard to get around because he’s such a tight railer, you won’t get underneath him, he just keeps going mate, he’s a great dog.”
The reigning Group 1 Dapto Megastar and Gold Bullion champion jumped well and was in the thick of the action in the early stages, but seemed to get headed slightly as they ran the bend, with Chief Lightning and Unleash Miami pushing around him to make a race of it.
But as that trio straightened for the run to the judge, Chief Lightning drifted up the track, forcing Unleash Miami wider and allowing Good Odds Cobber room to power underneath the pair. The son of Fernando Bale x Good Odds Meghan kicking away to win by 1.25 lengths in a time of 25.98.
It was also his 33rd race victory in start number 56, and takes his career earnings to more than $770,000.
Not bad for “the slowest dog in the litter”, according to Hurst.
“There was six in that litter and they all broke in good but he broke in the slowest. The rest have been sold off and are not around, but he’s still here…he just kept improving, that's what I liked about him from the start,” a jovial Hurst added.
“I sold his brother for big money and at the time his brother was running 29.6 at Wentworth Park and he was only running 30.00 but we kept him because he had speed...Tommy Smith said it forty years ago, you must breed for speed… and speed wins races.”
The 2024 NSW Greyhound Of The Year finalist now being set for the heats of his home track feature on Friday night, before steaming his way towards the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg series which begins in March.
“He’ll definitely go to Richmond for the Derby, it’s a bit of a short run there to the first turn, he wouldn’t suit it but it’s next door and we’re there all the time. There’s good people running the place so we’ll take him there for them and then onto the big one [Golden Easter Egg]”
As for the placings in the Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup, Chief Lightning finished second for Jason Magri to find himself on the podium in a feature final for the third time in three months (he also ran third in the Gosford Gold Cup and Maitland Cup), while Unleash In Miami ran home for third for Peter Sims.
Good Odds Cobber (centre) flanked by Unleash In Miami (left) and Chief Lightning (right)
