Can Lightning Strike Twice In Perth Cup Decider?

The Victorian-based Four Frothys Syndicate are hoping lightning strikes twice in Saturday night's Group 1 Perth Cup Final (520m) at Cannington.

In 2022, the three-member group from Gippsland – brothers Glenn and Grant Pask, and Jamie Baxter – celebrated G1 glory with homebred Perth Cup hero Vice Grip, while they also raced third-placed littermate Rostered Off.

FIELDS AND FORM CANNINGTON SATURDAY NIGHT

Fast forward twelve months and the trio are dreaming of going back-to-back and retaining their ‘grip' – pun intended – on the Cup with Yahoo Serious, a younger half-brother to Vice Grip.

"He's no Vice Grip, but he's an honest city dog," said Glenn Pask.

Adam Smithson has two runners in the Perth Cup: Yahoo Serious (box 5) and Who Told Tuff (box 7). Here's what he had to say after the draw.@TheDogsWA pic.twitter.com/QT8S5SgaLw

— Greyhounds WA (@greyhounds_wa) March 14, 2023

"If he gets out on Saturday night and gets a clear run, anything is possible."

Yahoo Serious is a superbly-related October 2019 son of former South Australian star Worm Burner and Bells Are Ringin, the 2016 Sandown Cup winner and a litter sister to National Distance champion Ring The Bell.

The family ties with the Perth Cup continue with Yahoo Serious' ‘uncle', Blazin' Bomber', which was the fastest qualifier for the 2016 Cup when running fifth.

As was the case with Vice Grip, Yahoo Serious began his career in Victoria, where he won four of his first 24 starts, firstly for Graeme Jose and then Gerry O'Keeffe, who also prepared his G1-winning mother, before heading west.

Under the guidance of rising WA star Adam Smithson, who also trained Vice Grip, Yahoo Serious has added a further nine victories in his adopted state, the most important to date coming in last Saturday's Cup heats.

Yahoo Serious was drawn in box two in the first of eight ‘must win' heats, which was thrown open by the scratching of series favourite Wow She's Fast.

YAHOO SERIOUS takes out the first heat of the 2023 Perth Cup for trainer ADAM SMITHSON. pic.twitter.com/Tnt5LsJxqZ

— Greyhounds WA (@greyhounds_wa) March 11, 2023

Taking full advantage of the superstar's absence, he defeated joint $2.10 favourite Jimmy's Decision by three-quarters of a length in 29.87sec.

"When I saw Wow She's Fast was in his heat, I thought ‘that'd be right!', but when she was scratched, I thought he was a big chance," Pask said.

Unfortunately, the similarities with Vice Grip continued in Monday's box draw for the $200,000 to-the-winner Cup – race 7 at 11.57pm on Saturday.

Yahoo Serious was allocated box five, the same alley Vice Grip exited in his dominant all-the-way 29.42sec triumph, with the ex-Vic a $14 outsider with Sportsbet.

Elite Machine (box 1) is $2.50 favourite, ahead of Electrified (box 3), runner-up in an Australian Cup heat and the Cup Consolation last month, at $2.60.

"It hasn't really surprised me," said Pask.

"Adam (Smithson) has done another great job with him.

"It's funny, because when he beat Electrified in a FFA around Christmas time, I said to Adam, tongue in cheek, that he was our next Perth Cup winner.

"All of a sudden, he's in the Cup Final and he's drawn the same box as Vice Grip too.

"Last year there was a lot of expectations, which added to the pressure, but there's no expectations this time. We're just hoping he runs his usual honest race.

"He's got to jump. You have to get out in these races. I would've loved to draw one, two or three, but it is what it is. You've got to be in it to win it!"

Yahoo Serious is yet to claim a Group trophy, but has twice been placed in middle distance features, running third in the G3 Paradise Street Trophy (600m) and runner-up in the Listed Summer Chase (600m).

He also ran fourth to sibling Vice Grip in the Listed Spring Gift (520m). 

Pask added that the recently retired Vice Grip's stud journey has commenced this week, with semen drawn from the son of Aston Dee Bee for the first time and three females waiting to be served.