Yozo Bale Rules In Wagga Cup Onslaught

YOZO Bale has blazed his way to yet another country cups victory with a slashing performance in the Ladbrokes Graeme Hull Memorial Wagga Cup (525m) on Friday night.

Entering the $25,000-to-the-winner finale as clearly the class runner boasting Group 2 victories in the Ballarat and Bendigo Cup, a faultless beginning from box eight ensured the son of Fernando Bale always had the Listed feature safely in his keeping.

The victory handed young trainer Correy Grenfell yet another big race triumph, his Wagga Cup success coming hot on the heels of Tiggerlong Tonk's Group 1 Harrison-Dawson win at Sandown Park on Thursday night.

Tiggerlong Tonk, the flagbearer of Grenfell's powerful kennel, is owned in Wagga by breeder Michael Finn.

Grenfell and partner Samantha went into the Wagga Cup decider boasting half the field and they left landing the trifecta courtesy of Xavien Bale and Usman Bale which finished second and third respectively 4 ¼ lengths astern.

Yozo Bale stopped the clock in a flying 29.84, the time just two lengths outside Group 1 winner Deliver's 29.71 track record.

A winner at 24 of 62 starts and over $270,000 in prizemoney, Yozo Bale boasts a record that justifies his standing as one of the best sprinter's in the country.

Now boasting a third country cup, his Wagga Cup title sits besides wins in the Ballarat Cup and Bendigo Cup, his consistency underscored by further seconds in the Geelong Cup and Warrnambool Cup.

But perhaps his best performance was when finishing a heroic second to Wow in the Group 1 Temlee (525m) at The Meadows in February.

On a big night of racing at Wagga on Friday night, the consolation of the Cup was taken out by Group 2 Richmond Derby winner Incapacited for Justin King.

The son of Sh Avatar covered the journey in a slick 29.98 to beat Nikoli Bale by a length in one of the races of the program.