Big Odds Secured For Leading QLD Cup Hope

WA Oaks winner Rippin' Grace has been the medium of a strong betting move to win the Group 1 Queensland Cup (710m).

Odds of $51 pre-post were snapped up about the bitch but she is now into $5 to win the final.

Rippin' Grace (Bernardo-Slingshot Spirit) goes into the Cup heats from box five on Thursday night at Albion Park and comes off two slashing wins over 600m at the track including a 34.57 clocking on June 15.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

WA trainer Shayne Williams has sent her to Queensland trainer Tom Tzouvelis for her Winter Carnival campaign.

The bitch's owner, NSW-based Cheryl Smith said today she and her family had snapped up the long odds about the bitch for the Cup.

“She already has strong 700 metre form back in WA where she has been a Group 1 and Group 3 finalist, placed in the latter,” said Cheryl.

“When the Cup markets were put up by Sportsbet, she was not among the runners, so we inquired and got $51.

Congratulations to RIPPIN' GRACE for trainer Shayne Williams on winning this year's WA Oaks Final. Rippin' Grace trailed the field down the straight but positioned herself perfectly on the rail by the 600m to pick off the placings and comfortably take the lead for a 29.89 victory pic.twitter.com/9q2oQdwH6V

— Greyhounds WA (@greyhounds_wa) May 27, 2023

“She has been shortening up all the time.”

Rippin' Grace was fourth to First Picked in the G1 WA Galaxy in March and second to Speed Freak in the G3 The Miata in April over 715m at Cannington.

Tzouvelis gave Rippin' Grace a 710 box to box at Albion Park before the race meeting last Thursday.

“She's come out of the boxes now and while she might be a bit short of a 700 metre race, we believe she will be hard to beat,” said Cheryl.

“She got to the line great in her latest win at Albion Park.”

Rippin' Grace comes up against a tough field headed by Victorian star Moraine Suzie.

The Brendan Pursell-trained bitch will be making her Albion Park debut but she comes to the Group 1 series off 14 wins and $266,000 in stakes.

Cheryl Smith believes Moraine Suzie faces a tough ask.

“She is a great bitch, but she's having her first look at Albion Park and I don't think she is suited from the wide draw,” she said.

The big danger could be Jeff Britton's Osprey Storm, a highly promising stayer who ran 34.76 when third to Adulate at Albion Park over 600m last Thursday night and is well placed to lead in the Cup heat this week.