Yankee eyes dandy Masters purse

[Wandering Eyes]

It’s not only the Million Dolllar Chase finalists that will be running for huge money at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

While they might be in the twilight of their careers, veteran Victorian trio Gypsy Yankee, Providence Bale and Well Grounded will be chasing a $100,000 windfall in the Masters Meteor Final (520m), Race 7 at 9.13pm.

Gypsy Yankee (Box 6) has earned $125,760 in winning 18 of his 73 starts and is a warm $2.40 favourite to almost double his career earnings after breaking 30 seconds in winning his past two starts at Wentworth Park.

Gypsy Yankee, which was trained by ‘Team Dailly’ before transferring to astute Dubbo trainer Shayne Stiff in the lead-up to the Masters, was the quickest of last Wednesday’s three heat winners, clocking a Best Of Night 29.70sec.

Stiff made several offers to buy Gypsy Yankee with an eye on the Masters series and while he was ultimately unsuccessful, his persistence is set reap a handsome reward.

WATCH: GYPSY YANKEE (B1) is the fastest qualifier for Saturday night’s $100,000 to-the-winner Masters Meteor Final at Wentworth Park after a BON 29.70sec heat win.

“I talk to Tom and George (Dailly) quite a bit and I’ve been on a few overseas trips with George,” Stiff explained.

“I saw this race was coming up and not a lot of people target it. I knew the dog (Gypsy Yankee) really well and a couple of months ago I rang George and asked if he wanted to sell him, but the answer was no.

“I waited another couple of weeks and Gypsy Yankee was beaten a couple of times, so I rang again. George said we’re not selling him, but he asked me ‘Why do you want to buy him?’

“I said there was a $100,000 race coming up for four-year-old dogs; I think Gypsy Yankee actually turned four that day.

“George said they wouldn’t sell him, but they would let me take him and train him for them. I ummed and ahhed because I don’t like training for other people. But it’s a real honour to train for the Daillys.

“The dog came to me in beautiful condition. He’s just a marvellous old dog and is like a spring chicken! He wants to run, and he wants to race.”

Another grand Dailly campaigner, Providence Bale (Box 7), the winner of 21 from 108, with $143,935 in earnings, is a $12 chance after a 30.05sec heat win at his Wentworth Park debut.

Angela Langton’s Well Grounded (Box 3), which has 16 wins from his 111 starts and has banked $131,750 in prizemoney is also $12.

“Saturday night is Gypsy Yankee’s grand final, but Box 6 is no help,” Stiff said.

“I don’t like Box 6 in a game of marbles, let alone a $100,000 race!

“But I can’t fault the dog and wouldn’t swap him for any other dog in the race.

“If he runs well on Saturday, he might stay with me for the (G2) Black Top at The Gardens. We won the Black Top with Caitlyn Keeping (2018) and she was running around 29.70sec at Wentworth Park and similar sections.”

The Masters Meteor is one of two $100,000 to-the-winner support races at the MDC meeting, with the Dailly kennel having four-time G1 winner Gypsy Wyong (Box 4) engaged in the G2 Sydney Cup Final (720m), Race 8 at 9.36pm.

Ariarne Bale (Box 6), trained by Daniel Gibbons, was the only other Vic stayer to qualify.

Gypsy Wyong ($17) and Ariarne Bale ($23) are both outsiders, with the market dominated by track record holder and recently crowned G1 National Distance champion Super Estrella at $1.65.

The Daillys will also feature in the MDC Consolation, worth $25,000 to-the-winner, with Zara’s Ivan (Box 4), a $9 chance.

View the full article