Peter Lagogiane, who won the 2019 Gosford Gold Cup final in January in race record time with Beast Unleashed, has launched a three-pronged attack on the heats of the 2020 event this Sunday.
Lagogiane has track specialist Double Back, the 2018 Young Star Classic winner and 2019 Golden Easter Egg runner-up Federal Lilly, and recent dashing Gosford debutant winner Hooray Zipper all engaged in Sunday’s heats.
The three heat winners, three seconds and fastest two thirds will advance to the $40,000 to the winner final to be held on Sunday January 5.
While Federal Lilly and Double Back were always expected to head to the Gosford Gold Cup, Hooray Zipper was added to Lagogiane's Cup line-up following a brilliant all-the-way win in the fastest time of the night at the Central Coast circuit two Tuesdays ago.
Hooray Zipper covered the 515m in 29.29s, just .14s outside the race record figures posted by Beast Unleashed in the 2019 Cup on January 1. He followed up with a come from behind 29.71s win at the track on Christmas Eve.
"I was really impressed with how well Hooray Zipper went (at the first outing), especially as the dog had not previously seen the Gosford track,'' Lagogiane said.
"I had been able to trial Hooray Zipper at Gosford but he had no trouble winning and notching his fourth win from his past five starts.''
Federal Lilly, who has clocked a near record 29.45s at Wentworth Park, returned to top form with a slick 29.97s win there on December 13 while Double Back, a noted front-runner is particularly suited to Gosford.
Double Back (pictured) - who won a heat and was fifth in the final of the recent Beteasy Dapto Megastar - has had five starts there for two wins and three seconds.
Hooray Zipper is owned by Susan McDermott, wife of veteran race caller John McDermott, who has been in poor health in recent months and is currently hospitalised.
From his hospital bed McDermott, 75, recently said: "What a thrill it would be for us if Hooray Zipper could win a race like the Gosford Cup.
"The dog is going terrific for Peter but my wife Susan has also been a successful trainer, with her bitch Flying Kokomo winning 32 of 69 starts.
"Flying Kokomo won seven of her last nine races and went out a winner, scoring at Moree in her final race in October, 2004, while Our Zephyr was another top class greyhound Susan trained around that time.''
The affable McDermott, one of the sport's most popular identities, began calling greyhound races on a casual basis in 1964 before becoming a full-time caller at TAB meetings, mainly at central coast and Hunter Valley tracks, 10 years later.
Hooray Zipper has drawn the four in the second heat of the Cup and will find his stiffest opposition from Jamella Jet and Dual Keroma.
Federal Lilly will exit the seven box in the opening heat, while Double Back has drawn the six in the final heat and the main one he’ll have to beat is Buck’s Future.
Another with strong claims in the Gold Cup is the in-form Dual Keroma, who toppled crack speedsters Pindari Express and Feral Franky at Wentworth Park on December 7 and 14.
"After Dual Keroma beat Feral Franky at Wentworth Park our veterinary surgeon reckoned it wouldn't hurt to give the dog a short break,” husband Ray Pitstock said.
"Dual Keroma is four-and-a-half years old and we figure he can't stand up to being raced as often as younger greyhounds.
"Although Gosford is our local course Dual Keroma did not handle it well early in his career.
"But there has been remodelling done on the track and Dual Keroma won there on December 3 in 29.35s, which was best time of the night.
"Gosford is not as banked as it was previously and it now seems to suit Dual Keroma a lot better than it did last year, when he had seven starts there for just one win.''
Dual Keroma has drawn the two in the second heat.
While her 2018 Gosford Gold Cup winner Cosmic Bonus won’t be there, Northern Rivers’ trainer Evelyn Harris will be well represented in the heats with his younger half-sister Bad Neighbour, who has won 17 races, who has drawn the seven in heat two, along with Fran's Bonus who has come up with the red in the third heat.
