SUPERSTAR greyhound Fernando Bale is a $1.20 favourite to win Friday night’s Southern Cross Ten Bendigo Cup (425m).
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Fernando Bale, who has won his past 14 starts, scorched the Lord’s Raceway track on his way to a track record-winning run in last Sunday’s semi-final.
A repeat of that performance on Friday night will see Fernando Bale collect the $47,000 first prize and take his career earnings to more than $680,000.
“Fernando Bale is on par with the best dogs I’ve ever seen,’’ Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association general manager Troy Harley said.
“Brother Fox in the mid-1980’s and Brett Lee in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s were the best I’d seen and Fernando Bale is on par with them and maybe heading towards being the best.”
Harley said Fernando Bale’s appearance in Bendigo had created unparalleled interest in the Cup.
“We moved the Cup from Easter to winter in the hope of getting a better field, but we never expected to have Fernando Bale here,’’ Harley said.
“The Bendigo Cup always attracts very good dogs, but to have a champion in the peak of his career here has been enormous for the race.”
Fernando Bale started from the red box in his semi-final, but has a slightly tougher draw in the final from box three.
His biggest danger is bad luck. If he blows the start there is enough pace drawn outside him to make life tough.
“Fernando Bale has only missed the start once in his past 20 starts and that was in an Australian Cup heat,’’ Harley said.
Shared Equity, box five, ran the second fastest time in the heats and is the second favourite at $7.50.
Ronray Spirit, box eight, shares the third line of betting with Billos Pick, box two.
The Cup is race eight and will be run at 9.28pm.