Yozo Bale's Country Cups Crusade Continues

PROLIFIC winning sprinter Yozo Bale will be striving for a third country cup title in next Friday night's Group 2 Geelong Cup Final (520m).

Last year the son of Fernando Bale saluted in both the Bendigo and Ballarat Cups for trainer Correy Grenfell, victories which cemented his standing as one of the best sprinters in Victoria.

And following Friday night's slick 29.80 seconds heat success at Geelong the 22-time winner looks a fantastic chance of adding a Geelong Cup trophy to his glowing resume at his second time of trying.

Last year Yozo Bale qualified for the Geelong Cup decider, finishing down the track behind champion chaser Simon Told Helen which sadly passed away a fortnight ago.

Victory in next Friday night's Geelong Cup will see Yozo Bale's career earnings surge past $250,000 and following his slashing heat win with ripping sectionals he looks a fantastic chance of doing just that.

With next week's final field dominated by locally trained sprinters, leading conditioner Jeff Britton boasts two finalists, courtesy of fastest qualifier Weblec Jet (29.77) and Weblec Ace (30.01).

A finalist in the Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park in January, Weblec Jet was ultra-impressive in setting the time-standard for the final while big race performer Weblec Ace capitalized from the hot early pace set by Aussie Secret to win the opening heat.

On a night of fantastic racing, the second heat was taken out by Junk Food Junkie for Jessica Sharp, the daughter of Fernando Bale defeating Mepunga Warrior by 1 ¼ lengths in 30.13.

The victory continued the great run being enjoyed by ‘Team Sharp' after Devel Sixteen, a sister to Junk Food Junkie, qualified for last week's Group 1 Golden Easter Egg Final.

The remaining heat was annexed by the Tim Britton-trained Carry On Angel, the smart daughter of Mepunga Blazer defeating raging hot favourite Barooga Smoke by a length in 29.99.

The five heat winners along with runner-ups Barooga Smoke, Well Grounded and Tom The Cheap will fight out next week's $47,000-to-the-winner finale.

HEAT WINNERS (fastest to slowest):

29.77 Weblec Jet
29.80 Yozo Bale
29.99 Carry On Angel
30.01 Weblec Ace
30.13 Junk Food Junkie

BOX DRAW GROUP 2 GEELONG CUP

1. WEBLEC ACE (Jeff Britton, Anakie)
2. BAROOGA SMOKE (Brett Nye, Little River)
3. YOZO BALE (Correy Grenfell, Anakie)
4. WEBLEC JET (Jeff Britton, Anakie)
5. WELL GROUNDED (Matthew Lanigan, Anakie)
6. JUNK FOOD JUNKIE (Jessica Sharp, Avalon)
7. TOM THE CHEAP (Rebecca Gibbons, Avalon)
8. CARRY ON ANGEL (Tim Britton, Lara)