Gripen Bale’s 2009 Geelong Gold Cup Win
Young sensation Gripen Bale added the Geelong Australia Gold Cup to the famous Wheeler Bale dynasty in spectacular style last Friday night.
Gripen Bale ($5.20) came from midfield at the half way mark to blitz leader Ned's Pedro ($21) by nearly three lengths with Premier Moment ($36) two lengths away third.
Trainer Brendan Wheeler, 28, of The Oaks, New South Wales, described the win as easily his biggest thrill in greyhound racing.
The Wheeler family has won nearly all the major greyhound races in Australia with dogs including the word Bale in their name.
“I'm a third generation member of the family and we've been racing greyhounds for nearly 50 years.
We've got a few hundred greyhounds,” he said.
Wheeler praised Avalon trainer Graeme Bate, who prepared Hall of Fame greyhound Kantarn Bale for the Wheeler family, for his role in landing the Cup with Gripen Bale.
“Graeme has looked after Gripen Bale through the series for me. There is no better mentor than Graeme Bate, he is brilliant,” Wheeler said.
Gripen Bale, a massive 39kg brindle dog by Victorian sire Where's Pedro, has won nine of his 12 starts and finished second in two others.
Bate said he brought Gripen Bale back to Avalon when in Sydney to race the Wheeler's staying star Amity Bale.
“Brendan said Gripen Bale would win the Geelong Cup. He suffered a cut leg in his trailer and we were lucky to get him to the post for the first heat which he won,” Bate said.
“The dog has just improved week by week since. He is such a clever dog, and when he worked his way up from midfield to be challenging for the lead on the home turn, I said it was all over,” he said.
Bate will prepare Gripen Bale for the upcoming Hobart Thousand and the Melbourne Cup, a race which carries a first prize of $175,000. He said Gripen Bale was one of the fastest dogs in Australia and was already one of the quickest Bales born.
After the placed runners the field finished in the following order 4th Birthday Boy ($4.50), 5th Turanza Bale ($3.90), 6th Last Man Out ($16.70) 7th Go Go Allegro ($9.90) and Octane Show ($3.60fav)
Gripen Bale is a Blue Brindle dog whelped November 2007 by Where's Pedro from Clementine Bale (Faithful Hawk x Alarming Bale) he has raced 12 times for nine wins and two placings with his win in the Geelong Cup the $40,000 first prize took his current stake earnings to $56,540.
Listed below are the many outstanding dogs that have won the Geelong Cup.
Geelong Cup Honour Roll
- 1962 Darkie Bobs
- 1963 Mardec
- 1964 Silver Cadet
- 1965 Amasta
- 1966 Billy Vee
- 1967 Haydale
- 1968 The Apprentice
- 1969 Miram Miss
- 1970 Phantom's Heir
- 1971 High Volant
- 1972 Ranee's Magic
- 1973 The Little Gent
- 1974 Ty Court
- 1975 Zero Ranger
- 1976 Tivashley
- 1977 Smart Roman
- 1978 “Not Held”
- 1979 Rustic Star
- 1980 Tempix
- 1981 Worthy Weston
- 1982 Satan's Shroud
- 1983 Diamond Tempix
- 1984 Pomona's Tigress
- 1985 Dublin Flyer
- 1986 Thorgil Magic
- 1987 Modern Gossip
- 1988 Benito's Boy
- 1989 Fair Sentence
- 1990 Ravello
- 1991 Honourly
- 1992 Golden Ridge
- 1993 Golden Currency
- 1994 Tantallon
- 1995 Painted Wish
- 1996 Sobbing Sal
- 1997 Power Zone
- 1998 Cerin Bale
- 1999 Pete's Boss
- 2000 Suellen Bale
- 2001 Modern Assassin
- 2002 Bear Creek
- 2003 Puzzle Prize
- 2004 Whisky Assassin
- 2005 Brilliant Lee
- 2006 Dyna Checa
- 2007 Cool Effort
- 2008 Birthday Boy
- 2009 Gripen Bale