Morton wins Perth Cup prelude as odds shift for key contenders
Morton has come back into winning form after narrowly holding off Smooth Plane in a thrilling finish to the Perth Cup prelude at Cannington.
The Victorian-turned-WA sprinter showed strong early speed to lead, fending off a late surge from Smooth Plane to claim victory by 0.13 lengths in a slick 29.56 at $4.60 odds with the top greyhound bookmakers.
The win comes after Morton was recently transferred from Jason Sharp to the powerful Steve Withers kennel for the Perth Cup campaign.
Withers, best known for training WA legend Tommy Shelby, has wasted no time in refining Morton’s racing style, and the dog now looks primed to make an impact on the WA Group 1 feature.
2025 Cannington Perth Cup Prelude – Morton (29.56)
While Morton was the victor, Smooth Plane lost little in defeat.
Trained by Thomas Dailly, he had to weave through traffic early before launching a late challenge, falling just short at the post.
The pair cleared out from their rivals, with Shima Dream running into third, five lengths adrift.
The result has had a significant impact on Perth Cup betting markets.
Morton, who was a $12 chance before the prelude, has firmed into , while Smooth Plane has surged into outright favouritism at $6.
Previously sitting at $8, his impressive run has seen him leapfrog both Miss Envy and Vincent Bale, who now share second favouritism at .
Adding to the intrigue were the trial performances of several key contenders, with Victorian raider Vincent Bale producing the standout effort, running 29.72 over the 520m.
He remains a top contender, while Full of Regrets (34.97) and Infra Rock (34.70) also had solid hit-outs over 601m, their connections hoping for a seamless transition to WA racing ahead of the Cup series.
Morton’s early pace will be a key asset in the Perth Cup heats, and with further improvement under Withers’ guidance, he could be peaking at the right time.
With nominations closing soon and a stacked field likely to assemble, the Perth Cup is shaping up as one of the most competitive in recent years.
2025 March 1 – Cannington Race 3: Perth Cup Prelude Results
2025 Galaxy Prelude ResultsCannington 520m OPEN $10,627 to-the-winner Saturday, March 1, 2025
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| 1st |
5 Morton
T: Steve WhithersTime: 29.56Margin:
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| 2nd |
8 Smooth Plane
T: Thomas Dailly Time: 29.57Margin: 0.13 Lengths
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| 3rd |
3 Shima Dream
T: Joe DaillyTime: 29.91Margin: 5.00 Lengths
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| 4th |
1 Crumble Monelli
T: David HobbyTime: 29.94Margin: 5.25 Lengths
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| 5th |
2 Bezzechi
T: Paul StuartTime: 29.98Margin: 6.00 Lengths
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6th |
6 Rippin’ Moses
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| 7th |
7 Bagnaia
T: Michael HineTime: 30.28Margin: 10.25 Lengths
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| 8th |
4 Wise Barra
T: Chris HalseTime: 30.31Margin: 10.50 Lengths
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