Gibbons To Stick With Hit And Run Brisbane Cup Raid

SUPERSTAR Kelsey Bale, coming off a phenomenal last-to-first 29.66 at Albion Park two weeks ago, will stick with a tried and true pre-race plan when she takes on a heat of the G1 Brisbane Cup (520m) on Thursday night.

Trainer Daniel Gibbons will fly the bitch to Brisbane on race morning and return her home first thing on Friday.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

Kelsey Bale has drawn box four in the seventh and last heat of the $1m Cup and comes up against classy Alpha Zulu, Magistrate, Trapper Tears and Hara's Skye.

“When I took her up to Queensland way back in June last year, her best run was a trial the day after she arrived,” said Daniel.

“But, then she went downhill after that.

“When she won the Cup Prelude two weeks ago, we flew to Brisbane on race day and you saw what happened.”

“What happened” is that Kelsey Bale (Feral Franky-Ethla Allen) came from last and ran a phenomenal final section of 12.26 to win.

?KELSEY BALE (8) – ALBION PARK – 29.66?

? A freak of nature!

?? Congratulations Giblet Greyhounds, Jan and Brendan Wheeler! pic.twitter.com/7CoRGd7Uty

— Dimity Maher (@DimityMaher) June 15, 2023

“Someone told me that final section was three lengths faster than Jay Is Jay ran when he broke the track record,” said Daniel.

Back in May, Jay Is Jay ran 29.35 to eclipse his sire Sennachie's record of 29.38. He went through the first two sections of 5.54, 11.34 to make him come home his final section in 12.47.

While Kelsey Bale was hugely impressive running 29.66 in that Brisbane Cup Prelude, the Zammit family will quickly point to the fact Jay Is Jay ran 29.50 at his latest run on June 15.

Gibbons will not be at Albion Park, trusting the care of Kelsey Bale and her kennelmate, G1 Qld Cup aspirant Ariarne Bale, to his wife Bec.

“A week ago, I slipped a disc in my back, the third time I've done it, and I spent a couple of days in hospital,” said Daniel.

“I've been bed ridden since and will need to see a specialist for an operation.”

The Gibbons-trained Ariarne Bale will be going into the heats of the 710m Qld Cup fresh.

“She has not raced for a month but trialled brilliantly over 460m at Geelong the other day,” said Daniel.

“Bec will fly up with the dogs for Thursday night's heats and be back the next morning.”

Brisbane Club will be more than happy with the response to each Group 1 races, five heats of the 710m Qld Cup and seven of the G1 Brisbane Cup.

Superstars are spotted throughout all of the heats.

Record holder Jay Is Jay has drawn box four in his heat with brilliant beginner Tomahawk Hayze drawn on his outside.

Jay Is Jay warmed up for the heats with a post to post slip at Albion Park on Sunday running through a 24.06 slip with a run-home of 12.50.