Ferdinand Boy Staying Put After “Surreal” Cup Win

FERDINAND Boy landed the Group 2 Healesville Cup (350m) on Sunday which pocketed connections a cool $100,000 comprising the $50,000 first prize and a $50,000 bonus for securing a third country cup.

But the victory will also see the son of Fernando Bale remain in Australia after being the subject of a recent mammoth offer to go to stud in Ireland.

That is the wash-up from the Cup final where the son of Fernando Bale and Nayla Swift led throughout in 18.88 to beat Tiggerlong Tonk and close relation and kennelmate Hill Top Jonah in third for David and Rose Geall.

It was Ferdinand Boy's 27th career victory to take his stakes to $312,000 from 49 starts.

David Geall was beside himself with the win.

“Very exciting, very, very happy,” he said. “In fact it is surreal.”

Ferdinand Boy began like a rocket from the five box and was never headed to win by two and three-quarter lengths.

“It was so nice to see him just get out and go,” David said. “It's a magic thrill for us. Especially when you consider we've tried a few times to win this race.

It was Ferdinand Boy taking out the G2 Healesville Cup Final @HVLGreys ? pic.twitter.com/TbCBTFoRLY

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 12, 2021

“The Healesville Cup is one of those races. The heats are always red hot with some extra fast dogs. There is never any margin for error in the race.”

Geall said he and Rose had been approached six weeks ago from Irish stud interests to buy Ferdinand Boy.

“The offers kept going up and up,” he said. “They got to six figures about three weeks ago when we finally said a firm no.

“He's done enough for us and the dogs themselves mean more to us than the money. He's a beauty,” he said of the dog Rose gave the kennel name of Lightning to when he was just four months of age.

“Anyone else would have sold him. No, we don't expect him to have a stud career here and as a 450 metre specialist he would have been just what the Irish are wanting at stud.”

Ferdinand Boy will now go have a one-turn track trial to ready himself for a tilt at the upcoming Sale Sprint Championship and his target after that will be the Bendigo Cup.

The Healesville Cup win and $50,000 bonus follows victories in the Shepparton and Ballarat Cups in 2021.

But the story of the Healesville Cup victory does not end there.

“Rose and I are so grateful to GRV for working so hard to keep us racing as an industry,” said David. “To be able to race our dogs at the elite level is something we all should be thankful for.”

With those thoughts, David and Rose will now make donations to the Soldier On and Beyond Blue charities.

“The Beyond Blue charity has special impact for us in regards to a close family friend,” David said.