Weblec Ranger on Ballarat Cup path after Murray Bridge win
The Ballarat Cup is now beckoning for Weblec Ranger after his convincing 1.5-length victory in the $35,000 Murray Bridge Cup on Sunday night.
After getting to the front early from box eight, the two-year-old showcased his raw speed and was never headed, finishing in a good time of 25.31 seconds in the 455m event.
That was after he ran the fastest time of 25.27 seconds in the heats the previous week.
Despite going in as the third favourite paying $5.50 to win with bookmakers, Weblec Ranger's Victorian trainer, Angela Langton, never entertained the thought that he would not salute in what was her first Murray Bridge Cup triumph.
“They both jumped beautifully, both Weblec Jet (who Weblec Ranger's part-owners Jeffrey Weber and Neville Loechel have also invested in, finishing fifth on Sunday night) and him,” Langton told australianracinggreyhound.com.
“Weblec Jet just got a little bit held up. But we knew he (Weblec Ranger) was going to be hard to beat.
“He went super last week after not seeing the track previously. He began really well and ran it out well.”
Along with winning his heat in the fastest time out of all the Murray Bridge Cup runners, Weblec Ranger impressed by winning a Grade 5 event over 515m on March 3, triumphing in a time of 29.68 seconds.
“He was in a bit of form. He won at Sandown before we took him over there (to Murray Bridge), so he's a nice young dog and he chased well,” Langton said.
“Once he crossed them I didn't think he'd get run down.
“He is a 500m dog and he's pretty strong, so he just kept going which was great.
“They had the opportunity to run him down if they were good enough because he did move off a little bit.
“But he just kept kicking which was terrific.”
Another cup challenge could be next in store for Weblec Ranger, with Langton looking ahead to the Ballarat Cup on April 8.
“We might put him in that. He's only pretty young and he might not be up to that sort of standard yet,” Langton said.
“But young dogs always improve if they're good enough. He might draw a good box and begin well.
“He's definitely got some confidence. He's been going really well the past three starts, so possibly the Ballarat Cup next.”
Langton is currently sixth in the Victorian greyhound trainers' premiership with 169 wins, and third in the metropolitan race (59 victories).
But to win a Murray Bridge Cup meant a lot to her, particularly with Weber and Loechel – together with their families and friends – trackside to witness it.
“I know Neville and Jeffrey were at the track and they had a lot of old friends who they grew up playing footy with. They're both farmers,” Langton said.
“They got a lot of their old contacts to come to the track, so there was a big buzz for them to win.
“It was a big family event as well. All their family and grandkids were there. I was rapt just for them to win.
“It's great because it's a real family thing. That gave me more of a buzz than any monetary value or anything else.
“Just to know that they were all there and could see their dog win. You watch the dogs be whelped and they grow up and you rear them to the stage where they race.
“And for the whole family to be part of that was just wonderful for them.
“I was really rapt.”
Langton is also rapt at the connection she's built with Loechel and Weber, the three combining to oversee many successful runners over a number of years.
“It was a big thrill to win (because) the Weblec dogs are pretty much Adelaide dogs,” she said.
“We've had something going for the past few years. We've trained a couple of very smart girls who they've owned and from there we've bred litters with them.
“It's been a good little team. It's worked out well for all of us and it's a great buzz.”