Race caller James Van de Maat won’t be calling tonight’s Energis Ballarat Cup (450m), he will instead be running the Punters Club at Morshead Park.
“The Ballarat Cup is the richest provincial greyhound race in the whole of Victoria, carrying $110,000 in prize money, and the calibre of the eight greyhounds in this final is outstanding.”
“In fact, I’d almost say this race has more early pace in it than the recent Melbourne Cup!” Van de Maat.
Many racegoers will be hoping $2.10 favourite and local superstar Zambora Brockie wins.
Trained by Anthony Azzopardi, the greyhound from Myrnong is unbeaten in three starts at the track, however he ran unplaced when favourite in the Melbourne Cup before surrendering an early lead and then powering to victory in a heat of the Ballarat Cup last week.
“Zambora Brockie is a big chance to win the race but I think $2.10 is just too short,” James said.
“In my mind, the greyhound most likely to cause an upset in the Ballarat Cup is Zinzan Brooke. He has won 11 from 13 and his sectionals are comparable to that of the mighty Fernando Bale.”
“Who would’ve have thought within a year of Fernando Bale retiring we’d say there’s a greyhound who could’ve potentially outpaced the champ?”
Tickets into the Punters Club are just $10 each, and James is quietly confident of a healthy return for investors.
“We’re playing hard with Zinzan Brooke and also Black Mumbo in the Ballarat Cup, and I’m feeling confident we can profit across the night,” he said.
2016 ENERGIS BALLARAT CUP, TONIGHT 9:28PM
1. Judicial Man (Brooke Ennis) $5
2. Zambora Brockie (Anthony Azzopardi) $2.10
3. Zinzan Brooke (Brooke Ennis) $6
4. Black Mumbo (Anthony Karabitsakos) $14
5. Tiggerlong Cruz (Samantha Ferguson) $18
6. American Monster (Ashlee Terry) $10
7. Weekend Binge (Kelvyn Greenough) $5
8. Diego Bale (Andrea Dailly) $18
Reserves
9. Aston Bolero (Jason Thompson) $6.50
10. Mystery Ride (Cameron Bahen) $12
SEVEN REASONS TO ATTEND THE BALLARAT CUP
- Free Entry
- Watch Australia’s best greyhound Zambora Brockie line up in the Ballarat Cup
- Rock the night away with an INXS tribute band
- Food trucks
- Win thousands of dollars for your local sports club
- Join in the fun of James Van de Maat’s punters club for just $10 per ticket
- Meet some of our friendly greyhounds from the Greyhound Adoption Program
WHERE
Morshead Park, Rubicon St, Sebastopol
KEY TIMES
Gates open: 6.00pm
First race: 7.08pm
Ballarat Cup: 9.28pm
Sports Club Challenge: 10.08pm
Last race: 10.49pm
Zinzan Brooke winning his Ballarat Cup heat and afterwards with trainer Brooke Ennis.
