Houdini Boy Sets Sale Cup Time Standard

HOUDINI Boy was at his crowd-pleasing best at Sale on Sunday with a barnstorming Sale Cup heat victory for trainer Kel Greenough.

The star son of Zambora Brockie has a knack of making the difficult look easy and it was a trait on full display at the weekend coming from off the pace for an effortless 7 ¾ length victory in 36.78.

The time was the quickest of the four heats which has seen the prolific winning chaser installed a red hot $1.80 favourite for the $75,000-to-the-winner group 1 final on Boxing Day.

If ever there was a greyhound suited to the 650 metre Sale Cup journey it is Houdini Boy, stepping out for the first time since finishing a close up third to Manila Knight in the Group 1 Bold Trease (715m) at Sandown Park last month.

His winning time on Sunday was just two lengths outside Burn One Down's three-year-old track record and one would imagine with clear running in Saturday's final he's some chance of making the record his own.

But while he's without question the one to beat, a terrific field opposes him in the Gippsland feature, headed by Christo Bale which gunned down WA visitor Zack Monelli in the final stride to win his heat in 36.92.

Winner at group 2 and group 3 level and placed twice at group 1 level, Christo Bale oozes class and has drawn box two for Saturday's decider while Zack Monelli, gallant in defeat on Sunday, will exit box three.

Only adding to the star quality in the Boxing Day finale is Group 1 Hume Cup winner Last Hurrah which progressed to the final with a gallant second to I'm Easy Boys in 37.06.

The remaining qualifier was annexed by Bobby The Brute for Brendan Pursell which downed race favourite Weblec Ace by half-a-length in 37.13.

Pursell will be looking to round out a spectacular year with the collar and lead highlighted by Bronski Beat's Group 1 Sandown Cup win back in May.

GROUP 1 SALE CUP BOX DRAW

ARIZONA EYES (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
CHRISTO BALE (Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC)
ZACK MONELLI (David Hobby, Nambeelup WA)
BOBBY THE BRUTE (Brendan Pursell, Lara VIC)
HOUDINI BOY (Kelvyn Greenough, Pearcedale VIC)
LAST HURRAH (Brett Nye, Little River VIC)
WEBLEC ACE (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)
I'M EASY BOYS (Raymond Henness, Heathcote VIC)

Reserves

SECRETS UNTOLD (Peter Schofield, Devon Meadows VIC)
BURN TIME (Keith Hellmuth, Pearcedale VIC)