‘Baby' Bettina Set For Ipswich Cup Test

TRAINER Kevin Ellis and breeder-owner Steve Williams will be hoping to go one better when exciting young bitch Velocity Bettina lines up for Thursday night's rich Group 3 Ipswich Gold Cup (520m).

Back in 2015, Ellis and Williams combined to finish a close second with Macnivek in the Ipswich Cup behind Robert Cooke's star group 1 winning race bitch Cash In Motion.

“He was a wonderful dog and we thought he had a great chance, but Cash In Motion got to a clear second early and was then too strong for him,” said Ellis.

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This year the Zambora Brockie-Velocity Shirl bitch, Velocity Bettina, goes into the $75,000 to the winner final as a baby who will not turn two until the end of the month.

She has won five of her 10 race starts, including a 30.09 victory in the recent Ipswich Futurity.

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“The box draw has done her no favours, but I'm really keen to see how she matches against this great field and from a draw that does not suit her at this early stage of her career,” said Ellis.

Velocity Bettina was one of a group of youngsters broken in by John Collins at Postman's Ridge when Williams contacted Ellis to head to that trial track to take his pick of the group.

“I grabbed the brindle bitch because she chased so hard in the trial,” he said.

“I gave her a month off, then worked her up to be ready for a race. When Steve sent me the registration card for her, it was only then I realised she had only just turned 17 months old.”

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Velocity Bettina has already won at Albion Park in 29.91 and Ellis predicts a great future for the bitch.

“The Ipswich Cup has come up quick for her, but she deserved her chance in the heats after winning the Futurity in 30.09,” said Ellis.

“I really liked the way she came from behind in her heat win and still ran 30.23.”

But after decades in greyhound racing, Ellis realises the task in Thursday night's final will not be easy considering the looming presence of Fernando Blaster who equalled the track record of 29.97 in winning his heat.

“This final is full of high class dogs and really every one of them has great claims to win it,” said Ellis.

“But if the favourite comes out like he did in the heat last week, it should be all over.”