Mick And Steve Take Casino Cup By Storm

THE drive home from Casino to Dungay is not that long, but Mick Lalicz and his “mentor” Steve Kavanagh savoured it anyway late on Friday.

Mick landed two heats of the Group 3 Charcoal Inn Casino Cup with littermates Sauve Ripple and Rapid Ripple (Fernando Bale-Ripple Rumble), but earlier Kavanagh had won his heat with grand campaigner Louis Rumble (Fernando Bale-Joyce Rumble).

The other Cup heat went to Aaron Newstead's Hyperdrive (Mogambo-Terra Tora).

G3 Casino Cup (484m): 1 Rapid Ripple, 2 Commands Respect, 3 Take Two, 4 Context, 5 Respectability, 6 Hyperdrive, 7 Louis Rumble, 8 Suave Ripple. Res: 9 Serengeti, 10 Kooringa Amy.

Lalicz could not split his Cup finalists and believes both are drawn to go close.

Rapid Ripple took out Heat 3 of the G3 Charcoal Inn Casino Cup & in the process qualified fastest for next Friday's $25,000-to-the-winner final.

He already has four wins & six minors to his name from 12 starts for Mick Lalicz.

Result: https://t.co/K3NLCdS0E2#thedogs pic.twitter.com/S9iVhfYYSk

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) November 18, 2022

“Rapid Ripple has been the faster of the two, but Sauve Ripple in the past six weeks with more racing has really turned the corner into a good race dog,” said Mick.

Rapid Ripple ran the quickest of the four Cup heat with a 27.58 holding off Context to win by almost two lengths.

But Sauve Ripple ran 27.70 when beating Commands Respect by a head after gaining a saloon passage to the front passing the 411m boxes.

“Ripple has always been a good pup and I prefer him from the inside draw,” said Mick.

“He's had the rails only once before and won at Albion Park in 29.94.”

But Mick says Sauve Ripple has had so many box eights in the past six weeks he is fast learning how to handle that wide draw.

Kavanagh, who sold his Dungay property to Lalicz several years ago but still kennels his dogs there, rode to Casino with Mick to take on the Cup heats.

He was impressed that Louis Rumble was able to come from behind to win his heat in 27.60.

“If you check, I don't think he has ever come from behind in his life to win,” said Steve.

Louis Rumble downed Respectability who appeared unlucky for owner-trainer Mick Patterson when second when resuming from a spell.

“He's the one dog you don't want in the Cup final,” said Kavanagh of Respectability who has drawn poorly in the five box.

Here's the box draw for the 2022 Charcoal Inn Casino Cup!

Who's your pick?#thedogs #GreyhoundRacing #casinocup @ladbrokescomau @tabcomau @sportsbetcomau @TopSport_com_au @NedsAus @BlueBetAu @PalmerbetAU pic.twitter.com/OpSBLOgsEv

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) November 18, 2022

The Kavanagh/Lalicz combination is behind the success of the two Ripple dogs in the heats.

“Steve gave me Busy Rumble and I bred a litter to Fabregas with her and got Ripple Rumble,” said Mick.

“She was second in the Pop Northfield, third in the Ladbrokes Maiden at Lismore and then third in the Queensland Futurity.

“She won 11 races and $48,000 for me and I bred her to Fernando Bale and got this litter.

“She also has a litter by Cosmic Rumble breaking in great and a 16 week old litter by Jungle Deuce.”

Sentimental Cup favourite will be Hyperdrive for Aaron Newstead.

She ran 27.88 to win her heat over Take Two.

Hyperdrive's dam Terra Tora won the Casino Cup back in 2017 and was second the following year. In between she ran second in a Lismore Cup.

Her daughter Hyperdrive has won 11 races for Aaron.