HARCOURT owner-trainer Scott Gibson hopes to celebrate his birthday with a win in Friday night's $5000 to the winner Greyhound Racing Victoria Battlers Cup (425m) at Bendigo.
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A victory with Prince Cody would be cause for more than double celebration, with the dog also celebrating his birthday.
And then there is the added bonus of a feature race win.
Gibson would love nothing more than to be the first to add his name to the Battlers Cup honour role.
A new initiative for GRV and the Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association, the event has created an opportunity for the lesser performed greyhounds and the smaller and hobby-type trainer, to compete for a higher stakes event and share the spotlight on a bigger stage.
Three of the finalists are trained in the region, including Prince Cody, who will jump from box two, and Another Episode (3) and Silver Compass (4) alongside him, both trained at Axedale by Brian Brown.
The fastest of the heat winners, Double Tactic, for Alma trainer Gregory Paez, is drawn in box five.
Prince Cody might be the consummate battler in the field, given his trainer rates him a 'probable 100-1 chance'.
"He's a wide runner, so he's not drawn in the best spot. Had he been drawn in seven or eight, he'd probably be a 10-1 chance," Gibson said.
"Then you have the one (Spritely Too), who seems to have a bit of early speed, so you'd think it's going to jump into the lead.
"If mine goes back and has to go around them all, it's going to make it tough.
"But I guess you're always a chance if you are in the race."
Prince Cody has won eight of 41 career starts and been placed eight times, including one at Sandown in 29.69 (515m).
He has won two of 15 starts at Bendigo, the latest coming in last week's heats.
"If you saw his heat, you'd realise he always gives 100 per cent and never gives up," Gibson said.
"It's a great concept, the Battlers Cup, there should be more of it.
"A 500m one at Bendigo would be great, that would have suited him down to the ground. He'd be a $5 or $6 chance.
"That 425m makes it a bit hard for the backmarkers."
If you saw his heat, you'd realise he always gives 100 per cent and never gives up.
- Scott Gibson
Gibson said he was proud just to reach the final and for the Bendigo region to produce three of the eight finalists.
"I had 10 in the litter and he was probably one of the worst dogs out of the litter when I had them broken in," he said.
"He's gone on to win the most races of all of them.
"It just goes to show you can turn them around.
"I've done a bit of work with him this week, so hopefully we can get him away from the boxes a bit better."
The Battlers Cup will run at 8.08pm on Friday, with the $50,000 to the winner Bendigo Cup at 9.09pm.
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