Yozo Bale Lands Bendigo-Ballarat Cup Double

CORREY Grenfell says Yozo Bale's victory in the Group 2 Ballarat Cup (450m) on Saturday night came with a dog not really ready to take on such a daunting task.

The son of Fernando Bale and Purcell Bale by Dyna Lachlan led throughout to win in 24.88 beating Special Talent and Fortuna Bale.

He added that group 2 victory to his previous success in the Group 2 Bendigo Cup.

“He has always been injury prone,” said Correy.

“And he went into the Cup series at Ballarat well off his best after he hurt a sesamoid that forced him out of training for five weeks.

“I could only give him a couple of weeks in the competition runs then a couple of short ones before the Cup heats,” he said.

And he declared it was only at the last minute Yozo Bale was switched to Ballarat for the Cup.

“I even had him booked on a flight to go to Tassie for the heats of the Hobart 1000,” he said.

“It was a last minute decision to scrap the Tassie plan and rely on Tiggerlong Tonk for that race and go to Ballarat with Yozo.”

Grenfell is in a quandary about what to do with Yozo Bale now.

“He will have a quiet week or so to let him get over those quick runs in succession, then I will look to see what is about for him,” he said.

“There is nothing but age restricted races coming up in the immediate future.”

He has no doubt the dog will run a strong 520m for city racing.

“He went 29.40 at Sandown as a baby,” he said.

Grenfell could have a big week with kennel star Tiggerlong Tonk lining up on Thursday night for a second tilt at the Group 1 Hobart Thousand.

“We have drawn the five in the final and while normally that's not a great drawn for him, it just might be the way the field is drawn,” said Correy.

He said watching the replay of the heats from last Thursday night he believes Tiggerlong Tonk could have got his muzzle caught in his mouth.

“He just didn't seem comfortable at all during the run and his time was well of what we know he can produce,” he said.

“While he did not come into the catching pen with the muzzle caught, slow motion replays honing in on him specifically appear to show something is wrong.

“I am very confident he will be a different dog come the final.”

Grenfell will fly over to Tassie for the final.

Hobart Thousand final (in box draw order): 1 Sprint Gordon, 2 Wynburn Lethal, 3 Wynburn Sheean, 4 Shadow Mist, 5 Tiggerlong Tonk, 6 Kintyre, 7 Zevatron, 8 Tommy Shelby. Res: 9 Run And Carry, 10, Wynburn Express.