Trainer Angela Langton felt as relieved as she did ecstatic when her star sprinter Shared Equity ($8.00) upset the world’s greatest greyhound, Fernando Bale ($1.10Fav) with a stunning all-the-way win in Friday night’s $108,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup (450m).
So consistent and dominant has Fernando Bale been for much of 2015 he is often described as robotic and is regularly compared with the immortal Brett Lee who, ironically, is the sire of Shared Equity.
“She deserved to win a major race because she has made a number of group finals (seven),” said Langton, pictured above with Shared Equity and son Nicholas. “She was the favourite in the (Group 2) Warrnambool Classic and the (Group 3) Silver Bullet at The Meadows, so it’s a relief to finally win a big race with her.”
Fernando Bale produced an uncharacteristic performance that saw him miss the start, run into trouble and finish fifth.
‘Such has been his consistency that you’d have to wind the clock back 36 starts to find the last time FERNANDO BALE ran unplaced, but nothing should be taken away from the stunning performance of SHARED EQUITY, who incidentally lives directly next door to the champ on Darlington Drive.’
Such has been his consistency that you’d have to wind the clock back 36 starts to January 15 to find the last time Fernando Bale ran unplaced.
But nothing should be taken away from Shared Equity, who incidentally lives next door to Fernando Bale on the famous greyhound training strip of Darlington Drive in the Geelong suburb of Anakie.
A lightning fast beginner, the Engin Gemci-bred daughter of Brett Lee and West On Bluebird collected a $75,000 first prize when running 24.817sec, just over half a length off the track record. It was her 22nd win from 44 starts and took her career earnings up to $191,275.
“We bought her at three months of age and we reared her, and when you look after a greyhound from such a young age it makes wins like this extra special,” Langton said.
Runner-up was Unlawful Entry, who earned $22,000 for connections as well as $2,200 for Riding Develops Abilities in Oaklands, a volunteer organisation entitled to the equivalent of 10 per cent of any prize money the greyhound earns for 12 months as a spin-off from his win in the TAB Great Chase Grand Final in October.
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WATCH: Shared Equity (8) wins the Ballarat Cup over Unlawful Entry (5) and Magic Spring (6), while Fernando Bale (3) finds himself in all sorts of trouble.
The move to Friday night proved a winner judging by the size of the Ballarat Cup crowd. Pics BlueStream Pictures.
