Michelle Mallia’s Fernando Phil triumphs in Horsham Cup Final
On International Women's Day, trainer Michelle Mallia celebrated a significant victory with her greyhound Fernando Phil in the $83,000 Group 2 Horsham Cup (485m).
Fernando Phil, an often overlooked sprinter, secured his major win in an exciting race.
Despite being a reserve entrant, he showed strength and control throughout the race, leading from start to finish with a time of 26.95.
He outpaced the bookmaker favourite Explicit by one and a half lengths, while Nature Strip finished closely behind in place. Bred by Mallia herself, Fernando Phil now boasts a track record of nine wins, six second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes out of 25 races.
2024 Horsham Cup Final Race Replay – Fernando Phil (1st)
His earnings have reached a total of $130,120.
Mallia shared her joy at the victory and saw it as a tribute to International Women's Day.
She praised Fernando Phil for his abilities, hailing him as one of the formidable dogs she has trained in recent memory.
The triumph of Fernando Phil also carried significance, as the greyhound was named in honour of Mallia's father-in-law Phil Magri, who passed away when Fernando Phil was nine months old.
This victory held a place in Mallia's heart as a tribute to her beloved family member.
In another accomplishment, Shima Current, under the guidance of Tom Dailly, shined on the Horsham track with a 26.75-second triumph in the $14,575 Sportsbet Horsham Cup Consolation race (485m).
This victory earned him the prize of $10,000, as he outpaced Crackerjack Aret by three lengths.
Notable moments from the evening also included the Black Ombres win in the $7500 GRV VicBred Series final (485m) trained by Jason Thompson and the Wrong Biass victory in the $7000 Sylvia Penny Memorial final (410m) under David Kerrs tutelage.