An outstanding performance from My Bro Fabio has secured his spot in a heat of the $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup.
Sent to the boxes as the $2 favourite, My Bro Fabio was moderate to begin from box eight though was given room to muster early. Hurtling around the outside of the field at the first turn, he unleashed down the back straight to take the lead. Powering home in 10.21 – one of the fastest ever set at Sandown Park – to win by seven lengths in 29.09, just two lengths outside of Bekim Bale’s track record.
Trainer Brooke Ennis was taken by the run, describing the greyhound as a ‘freak’.
“We’re hoping for an invitation to the Topgun (run at The Meadows on Saturday 25 October), and he’s perfectly suited for the Shootout. The times he can run are freakish,” said Ennis.
The four-dog $50,000 winner-take-all Macro Meats Shootout will be run at Sandown Park on Thursday 6 November. The race was won in 2013 by Xylia Allen in 29.07.
Campapse Will also proved that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming feature events when he won Prelude 2 in 29.45.
Trainer Norm Walls was pleased with the run.
“He loves it drawn out wide and he got the space he needed early.
“I’m still undecided whether we take him to Adelaide Cup or not, I’m just glad we have the Prelude box ticked,” said Walls.
We Are Geelong surprised punters by claiming the night’s opening TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude at odds of $18.20. Kennel representative Jamie Karamatic wasn’t overly surprised with the win.
“We took him to a few of the country tracks to try get his confidence back. He’d won three of his previous four starts so we were confident of his chances heading into tonight,” said Karamatic.
Mepunga Armagh also booked his berth in the heats of the world’s richest greyhound race when he led all of the way to win his Prelude in 29.33.
The next TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude series will be run on Thursday 9 October, the winner of each Prelude qualifying for a spot in a heat of the $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup with the final to be run on Friday 21 November.
TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude 1 (We Are Geelong – 29.81)
TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude 2 (Campaspe Will – 29.45)
TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude 3 (Mepunga Armagh – 29.33)
TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude 4 (My Bro Fabio – 29.09)
