2016 Group 2 Ballarat Cup – free form, best odds and tips
ZAMBORA Brockie is the $2.15 favourite with William Hill to take out Friday night's Group 2 Ballarat Cup (450m) after his impressive 25.13 heat victory last week.
Starting from box four, the son of Nitro Burst and Flying Liddy pinged the lids but was outpaced in the run around the turn. From there the dual group 1 winner had to knuckle down, producing a powerful finish to score by three-and-three-quarter lengths on the line.
A victory from box two in Friday's event would push his career earnings beyond $563,000, with the black dog eligible to pocket a $50,000 bonus for winning three country cups within a calendar year.
Zambora Brockie will face some stiff opposition in the final, notably from talented litter brothers Judicial Man (box one) and Zinzan Brooke (box three).
Both greyhounds are trained by Brooke Ennis and scored convincing victories in their qualifiers, with the sons of Knocka Norris and All Fired Up clocking 25.24 and 25.09 respectively.
The only other greyhound currently under double figure odds is Weekend Binge for Kel Greenough, with the son of El Grand Senor and Kingsbrae Di looking to go one better than his older half-brother Paw Licking who ran second in the 2013 Cup behind Ronan Izmir.
Remarkably, the two fastest qualifiers for the series are both at long odds after coming up with poor draws in the final.
Black Mumbo (box four) upset one of the series favourites, Aston Bolero, in his heat when recording a one-quarter-length win in an electrifying 25.03.
Meanwhile, American Monster (box six) qualified less than one length slower than the best of the night when recording a strong come-from-behind win in 25.07 for trainer Ashlee Terry.
Also given a rough chance is Tiggerlong Cruz from box five, with the only bitch in the final stopping the clock in 25.16 in her qualifier. She will have to produce her best to overcome the tricky alley, however the 28.1-kilogram speedster is in excellent form, having won seven of her 13 starts since making the move to Victoria.
The field is rounded out by Diego Bale for leading trainer Andrea Dailly. The black dog did everything right in his heat, but will face a tougher test in the final after coming up with box eight.
The Group 2 Ballarat Cup is race eight on Friday night and is scheduled to jump at 9:28pm.
Group 2 Ballarat Cup – statistics and odds
Box One – Judicial Man
Blue Fawn Dog – 32.0kg – January 2014
Knocka Norris x All Fired Up
Prize money: $43,497
Box: 2: 2-0-0
Career: 21: 16-3-1
T/D: 4: 3-0-1
T/D best: 25.19
Career highlights: 2ND 2016 Group 2 Geelong Cup
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $4.80 with Crownbet
Box Two – Zambora Brockie
Black Dog – 30.8kg – September 2013
Nitro Burst x Flying Liddy
Prize money: $436,497
Box: 4: 2-1-1
Career: 47: 29-4-5
T/D: 3: 3-0-0
T/D best: 24.87
Career highlights: WON 2015 Group 1 Vic Peters Classic, 2016 Group 1 Winter Cup, 2016 Group 2 Sandown Shootout, 2016 Group 2 Warrnambool Cup, 2016 Group 2 Horsham Cup, 2ND 2016 Group 1 National Sprint Championship, FINALIST 2016 Group 1 Paws of Thunder, 2016 Group 1 Temlee, 2016 Group 1 Topgun, 2016 Group 1 Melbourne Cup
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $2.15 with William Hill
Box Three – Zinzan Brooke
Red Brindle Dog – 35.2kg – January 2014
Knocka Norris x All Fired Up
Prize money: $15,964
Box: 0: 0-0-0
Career: 13: 11-0-1
T/D: 2: 2-0-0
T/D best: 25.09
Career highlights: WON Capalaba 19.30, Bendigo 23.61
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $5 with Sportsbet
Box Four – Black Mumbo
Black Dog – 34.5kg – November 2013
Stagger x My Path Princess
Prize money: $54,785
Box: 4: 0-1-2
Career: 31: 12-5-6
T/D: 1: 1-0-0
T/D best: 25.03
Career highlights: FINALIST 2016 Group 3 Silver Bullet
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $17 with Sportsbet
Box Five – Tiggerlong Cruz
Black Bitch – 28.1kg – November 2013
Spring Gun x Tiggerlong Petal
Prize money: $28,436
Box: 6: 2-0-2
Career: 31: 12-4-5
T/D: 1: 1-0-0
T/D best: 25.16
Career highlights: WON The Meadows 29.80, Warrnambool 25.01, Horsham 27.78
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $18 with William Hill
Box Six – American Monster
Blue Dog – 31.6kg – October 2013
Knocka Norris x Father Of Mine
Prize money: $84,805
Box: 10: 2-0-2
Career: 42: 20-7-3
T/D: 3: 2-1-0
T/D best: 25.07
Career highlights: 2ND 2016 Group 2 Shepparton Cup, FINALIST 2016 Group 2 McKenna Memorial
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $16 with Sportsbet
Box Seven – Weekend Binge
Black Dog – 33.1kg – June 2014
El Grand Senor x Kingsbrae Di
Prize money: $71,475
Box: 8: 5-1-1
Career: 31: 18-3-2
T/D: 1: 1-0-0
T/D best: 25.11
Career highlights: WON 2016 Group 3 SA Derby, FINALIST 2016 Group 1 Adelaide Cup
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $6.50 with Sportsbet
Box Eight – Diego Bale
Black Dog – 32.8kg – October 2013
Taylors Sky x Zambola Bale
Prize Money: $156,533
Box: 5: 2-0-1
Career: 72: 20-14-8
T/D: 6: 3-1-1
T/D Best: 25.04
Career highlights: 3RD 2016 Group 1 National Derby, 2016 Group 1 Australian Cup, FINALIST 2015 Group 3 Cranbourne Puppy Classic, 2016 Group 3 Ambrosoli
Odds to win the Ballarat Cup: $21 with Crownbet