Jax Jumps Out Of Harrison Dawson Box

Breathtaking Group 1 Harrison Dawson heat winner Jax Bale will spearhead Team Dailly's assault on three feature events at Sandown Park on Thursday night.

Airborne 29.14s qualifier Jax Bale and Leon Bale are engaged in the $50,000 to-the-winner Harrison Dawson, Rockstar Beav will contest the first of four Group 1 Sandown Cup heats, while Gypsy Yankee will line up in the lucrative Vic Bred Maiden Final.

Coming off an unplaced effort in the Warrnambool Cup, Jax Bale was having just his 12th start when he stepped up to Group 1 company for the first time in the Harrison Dawson heats but he passed the test with flying colours.

A son of the Daillys' Meadows 525m record holder Allen Deed, Jax Bale ($6.10) faced a daunting adversary in the shape of $1.50 favourite Tiggerlong Tonk, winner of his previous three starts at Sandown in 29.12s, 29.14s and 29.26s. 

Jax Bale delivered on his early career hype as he came out running and dominated from in front, defeating hot-pot Tiggerlong Tonk by 3.13 lengths in a best of night 29.136s.

"The dog has a good motor," co-trainer Tom Dailly said.

"He can run and he couldn't have drawn any better last week to be honest.

"When he jumped and landed on the bunny I thought he'd be hard to run down. He went super."

The Dailly kennel qualified a second finalist with Leon Bale running a close third in his heat.

Moving out to box seven for the Harrison Dawson decider, Jax Bale is on the third line of TAB betting at $3.80, behind $2 favourite Simon Told Helen (box 3) and last week's adversary Tiggerlong Tonk (box 6) at $3.40.

Leon Bale is a $19 outsider from box two.

"I don't mind Jax Bale out there, as long as he gets a little bit of room to move," Dailly offered.

"I actually prefer him outside. If he can step as well as he did last week he'll be up there somewhere. He's our best chance for sure.

"Leon Bale has never struck me as a dog that could win a Group race. He'd need to come out under the lids and be a couple in front but I can't see him doing that. I'd be happy if he could run a place."

The Daillys also have the fastest qualifier for Thursday's $12,000 to-the-winner Vic Breeders Maiden Final (515m) in Gypsy Yankee, a son of the powerhouse Victorian kennel's superstar 2015 Harrison Dawson hero Fernando Bale.

Dailly admitted to being shocked when Gypsy Yankee was beaten on debut in the heats after leading but that disappointment was soon forgotten when the August '18 whelp was a sizzling 29.48s semi-final winner on Sunday.

"He's a good young pup and I was flabbergasted when he led in his heat and got beat," said Dailly.

"I couldn't believe it but it was good to see him show what he can do on Sunday.

"The only drawback on Thursday is box two. At this stage I don't think he really likes having other dogs on his outside and I'm not sure how he'll handle it, especially being a baby."

Completing what could be another monster night for Team Dailly, Rockstar Beav (box 8) is the $2.60 second elect in the opening heat of the Sandown Cup.

"He won off the red over 595m last Thursday but I quite like him being out in the pink over the 700m," Dailly said.

"He's not going to run 41.40s or 41.50s but he's run 41.79s and he's always thereabouts over the 700, so he's a chance for sure."