Courtesy of thedogs.com.au

Gripen Bale Grabs Bulli Honours

Written by: Gerard Guthrie 07/01/10

Gripen Bale produced an electrifying last-to-first effort to claim qualifying honours when three red-hot heats of the Group Three Cyril Rowe Gold Plate were held at Bulli on Wednesday night.

Gripen Bale, now back with Brendan Wheeler after a Victorian stint that saw the 39 kilogram powerhouse claim the Geelong Cup and run third in the Hobart Thousand, stepped out in the third heat in what shaped as a mouth-watering match-up with another excitement machine in Goodesy.

The two star youngsters duelled for favouritism, with Gripen Bale, well boxed in the eight, heading the market at $2.30 ahead of Goodesy at $2.40.

It was no great surprise that both were slowly away and found themselves at the rear of the field but Gripen Bale showed explosive mid-race speed to rail underneath Drover on the home turn and draw clear to score in 26.19, his fourth win from six starts at Bulli.

Drover finished second with Goodesy running on well for third and earning a place in next week’s final.

The opening heat was another star-studded event, with Hooky Booky starting favourite at $3.40 ahead of Magnifique, winner of the South Coast Cup at Bulli last year, at $4.60.

But it was Ruth Matic’s Hurricane Luke which claimed the prize, starting at a generous double figure quote ($11.80) considering he was a last start second at Group One level, finishing runner-up to Prankster in the Hobart Thousand.

Hurricane Luke defeated Om Shanti, a recent semi-finalist in the Silver Chief at The Meadows, by two and a half lengths in 26.25, with early leader Dyna Blade running third.

The second heat also saw two sprinters dominate the market with Goodesy’s litter sister Little Sparkle starting at $2.30 ahead of Disintergrate ($2.60), another finalist in the recent Hobart Thousand.

But the lightly-raced Little Sparkle measured up to Group company effortlessly, leading throughout from box two in 26.24. Ken Chappelow’s daughter of Collision and Frosty Fruits has now won four of her eight starts with each of her wins coming at Bulli.

Patrick Dudley ran second with Disintergrate third.

Three trainers have two finalists apiece, with Brendan Wheeler having Gripen Bale and Dyna Blade, Ruth Matic preparing Hurricane Luke and Patrick Dudley and John Finn having Goodesy and Om Shanti.

The box draw for next Wednesday’s $25,000 to the winner Cyril Rowe Gold Plate is 1. Gripen Bale, 2. Patrick Dudley, 3. Hurricane Luke, 4. Little Sparkle, 5. Dyna Blade, 6. Om Shanti, 7. Goodesy, 8. Drover. 1st reserve Disintergrate, 2nd reserve Magnifique.

Video Replays: Heat 1, Heat 2, Heat 3