Vayda ‘Stars’ in Wagga Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

The force was with Samantha Grenfell in Wagga’s Graeme Hull Memorial Cup final (525m) on Friday night.

Samantha and husband Correy not only claimed back-to-back Wagga Cup victories, they incredibly trained the trifecta for the second year running, with $13 outsider Vayda Bale a brilliant all-the-way winner of the $25,000 to-the-winner feature.

The Anakie-based Grenfells supplied half the Cup field, with defending champion Yozo Bale, 2021 runner-up Xavien Bale and recent Group 1 Harrison-Dawson finalist Nikoli Bale all starting at $5.50.

Despite drawing Box 1, Vayda Bale was the roughie of the Grenfell quartet.

It’s a Samantha Grenfell trifecta for Victoria in the @ladbrokescomau Graeme Hull Memorial Wagga Cup!

Vayda Bale wins in 29.83 with better-fancied kennel mates Xavien Bale and Nikoli Bale filling the placings!

Full Results: https://t.co/A4Io6KeBs7#thedogs @WatchDogRacing pic.twitter.com/QLqrkD41kj

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) June 3, 2022

The Grenfells and Daniel and Rebecca Gibbons dominated the Cup field, as the Gibbons chased a breakthrough feature race success with $4.20 favourite Kelsey Bale, Titan Blazer ($10) and Quinlan Bale ($26).

While Vayda Bale was the only Grenfell finalist not to win its heat – the daughter of Fernando Bale advanced after running a close second to Yozo Bale – she upstaged her more-fancied kennelmates in brilliant fashion.

Vayda Bale flew out from the rails alley, clocking a record first section of 5.10sec, and was never threatened as she defeated Xavien Bale by 3.75L, with Nikoli Bale third in a Wheeler bred-and-owned trifecta.

“Sam and Correy have been aiming for this for a little while, to come up and win it again is something they really wanted to do, and they’ve done it again,” said kennel representative Neil Jones.

“To be honest, we all picked a different dog.

“We couldn’t work it out, but we all thought ‘Vayda’ had a good show. She was well-boxed out of ‘the red’. She’s a good beginner and showed all her pace.”

Vayda Bale ventured to Wagga after running fourth to superstar Wow She’s Fast in the G1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown Park but had won only one of her previous 32 starts, with her Cup victory just her eighth win from 57 starts.

“She’d been racing against Wow She’s Fast,” Jones said.

“The last seven weeks, Sam took about half a kilo off her and since she has, she’s just turned into a new little bitch. She’s going super.”

‘VAYDA’ STRUCK IN WAGGA@gedguthrie chatted with handler Neil Jones after VAYDA BALE claimed the $25,000 to-the-winner #WaggaCup (Graeme Hull Memorial) Final for Samantha and Correy Grenfell.

They also trained XAVIEN BALE and NIKOLI BALE .#GreyhoundRacing @Thedogs_com_au pic.twitter.com/6EJiI1y1vS

— WatchDog Racing (@WatchDogRacing) June 3, 2022

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