Fernando Bale (pictured) bounced back from the despair of a courageous TAB Melbourne Cup defeat to remind everyone of his brilliance at Ballarat on Wednesday night.
Ballarat’s 450m track record holder Over Limit was left powerless as Fernando Bale romped to a four length win in 24.875sec in a heat of the $108,000 Group 2 Energis Ballarat Cup on Wednesday, two lengths shy of the former’s time standard.
The world’s first greyhound to earn a million dollars in prize money (currently $1.293Mil to be exact), Fernando Bale was set to be retired had he won the $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup (he ran second to star kennelmate Dyna Double One), however owner Paul Wheeler couldn’t bear the thought of the champ retiring on anything other than a winning note.
Fernando Bale – a winner of 34 races from 42 starts – looks set to pocket a further $125,000 for connections in the Ballarat Cup final on Friday night (December 4), comprising a $75,000 first prize and a $50,000 Triple Country Cups Bonus for winning three Victorian country cups in a calendar year.
A total of eight Ballarat Cup heats were run on Wednesday night, with the next fastest heat winner being Shared Equity, who defeated litter brother Shared Bonus in 25.034sec, two and a half lengths inferior to Fernando Bale’s time.
$108,000 GROUP 2 ENERGIS BALLARAT CUP
Friday night 4 December – 450 metres
1. ALPHA ZEUS (Jeff Britton, Anakie)
2. RIVERGUM DRIVE (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale)
3. FERNANDO BALE (Andrea Dailly, Anakie)
4. BALLERINO (Joe Borg, Maryborough)
5. UNLAWFUL ENTRY (Brett Bravo, Lovely Banks)
6. MAGIC SPRING (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale)
7. AMARO BALE (Andrea Dailly, Anakie)
8. SHARED EQUITY (Angela Langton, Anakie)
Reserves
9. OVER LIMIT (Glenn Rounds, Devon Meadows)
10. SHARED BONUS (Jeff Britton, Anakie)
WATCH: Fernando Bale (3) leaves Over Limit (8) in his wake in a Ballarat Cup heat on Wednesday night.
