Courtesy of www.thedogs.com.au

Proven Diego Strikes Bulli Gold

Trainer Mark Azzopardi certainly has the touch after he transformed his recent acquisition Proven Diego from maiden to group winner in the space of a month when his charge broke the hearts of his rivals by leading from start to finish in near record time in the $15,000 to the winner Bulli GRC Gold Plate Final at Bulli last night.

The race was clouded in pre-race news as pre-post favourite Winsome Joe was scratched after pulling up sore from his heat win where he had comfortably beaten Proven Diego. With his withdrawal, big black baby Magnifique looked ideally drawn out wide and began favourite at $2.40. Proven Diego was backed to beat him at $3.90 with Awesome Hustler and Hastings Bale on the next line at around the $5.00 region.

As the lids sprang open, Proven Diego quickly punched through from box two to lead from Awesome Hustler as Magnifique started to hunt up in dangerous fashion. Approaching the home bend, Magnifique had begun to stalk Proven Diego before he ran off wide leading into the home stretch, allowing Proven Diego to pinch a few lengths and held him at bay to hit the line in lightning quick 26.06 seconds. Magnifique was courageous in second place from track specialist Awesome Hustler who just couldn’t test these sprinting prodigies.

It was a Group win for Proven Diego at only start number seven and flash back to a month ago, he was still a maiden whose two career starts to date had been down the grass straight at Victorian Non-TAB venue Healesville. His time more impressively was only 0.12 seconds off Bartrim Bale’s track record for 472 metres and he will certainly continue to improve as he matures throughout 2009.

Well Done Connections and to Trainer Mark Azzopardi on a great win. cheers Dougie