No trainer would be more deserving of winning the Group 2 Triple M Bendigo Cup (425m) than local stalwart Noel Massina.
Massina, former long-serving Bendigo GRC President and a driving force behind the Gold Rush Carnival, which is traditionally held at Easter, is eyeing off a fairy tale victory in his hometown Cup with home-grown talent Bound To Succeed.
“Everyone would like to win their own Cup,” said Massina.
“I’ve had a good few runners in the race over the years but I haven’t been able to win one.
“The last time I put runners in it we won two heats with Blue Chariot and Ja Ja (2007). Token Knight was another very good dog of ours that made the final (2003).
“There are six in the syndicate that owns Bound To Succeed and they’re all locals too, including Grant Fullerton, who broke him in. We usually only train our own but they’re great blokes to train for.
“They were thrilled when he won the big Coonamble Maiden in NSW last year and it would be even better to win the Cup.”
Massina’s 2020 aspirant Bound To Succeed, which boasts the excellent strike rate of 14 wins from his 22 starts, including three from four at Bendigo, will contest the second of eight sudden death Cup heats on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s not as if we have to travel hundreds of miles. It’s in our backyard and if you don’t have a go you’ll never know!”
In a very competitive affair, where picket fence form-lines are everywhere you look, Bound To Succeed will exit box three and shares the second line of betting in TAB’s market at $3.60 with rails runner Yozo Bale, the winner of 10 from 24.
Recent Horsham record-breaker Kipling, winner of 15 from 23 and his last five in a row, is $3.10 favourite from box six, ahead of Faithy Bale at $5 and Copperhead Rogue, which is also on a five-race winning streak, at $8.
“He’s a pretty handy dog,” Massina said of Bound To Succeed.
“He’s a little bit short of top class so he’ll need things to go his way but he’s a good chasing dog and never runs a bad race.
“It’s not as if we have to travel hundreds of miles. It’s in our backyard and if you don’t have a go you’ll never know!
“He has run exceptional time at Bendigo – 23.44s – and if he was to repeat that he would be some sort of chance.
“He’s generally a reliable beginner and if he gets a clear run he’ll run pretty good sections but he’ll need to because there are four or five others in the race that will do the same thing.”
Such is the depth of Sunday’s heats, Bound To Succeed is a $26 outsider in all-in betting on next Friday’s Final, with Shima Shine the $5.50 favourite ahead of Hard Style Rico and Zambora Smokey, both at $7.
“The Shepparton Cup winner, Hard Style Rico, is a flying machine, and he’s probably the one they have to beat,” Massina offered.
WATCH: Bound To Succeed (8) explodes to a sensational win at Bendigo in 23.44sec (Best) in February when just 24 months of age.
