Penny Veejay will start a popular favourite in Saturday night's Apco Easy Shops Geelong Pacing Cup from gate two. Photo by Gary Wild
Track specialist Penny Veejay could well start an odds-on favourite in this Saturday night's $30,000 Apco Easy Shops Geelong Pacing Cup (2570m).
The Beckley Park track record holder has come up with the plum alley of barrier two in the Group 3 feature and is thus well fancied by all.
TAB Sportsbet have the Jayne Davies-trained speedster, one of three Watpac Inter Dominion grand finalists contesting the event, a resounding $2.40 favourite.
The seven-year-old, who finished ninth in the ID08 final, has been beaten just once in four starts at Geelong when a luckless sixth in the 2006 Cup.
Three starts back he led throughout at the venue to win a heat of the Inter Dominion over the Cup distance of 2570-metres in a solid 2:00.1 mile rate.
Driver Chris Alford is tipping him to repeat the dose, particularly given the absence of recent high profile foes Blacks A Fake and Safari.
"You would think he's the leader from the draw and from there he'll be pretty hard to catch without those two in the race," he said of the Clyde-trained pacer.
"He showed in that Inter Dominion heat that he's a lot stronger now and doesn't have to take a sit like he used to so I won't be handing up.
"Put it this way if anything tries to attack him they'll only be sacrificing their own chances."
Racecaller and astute form analyst Dan Mielicki agrees. He said, "Barrier draws account for so much in top races and when the big guns draw well you can't beat them. This time it is Penny Veejay who is the big gun and I think he will win."
His dangers will come in the form of Sequoiahs Spirit (gate five, $6.50), an eye catching fifth in the Inter Dominion grand final, the smart Lance Justice-trained stablemates Smooth Crusa (three, $6) and Larado (nine, $7.50) and the well drawn Jagged Knight (one, $11).
The Pacing Cup is timed to go at 9.30pm (AEST) and headlines a terrific nine race program which commences at 6.35pm and also features the $8000 Vinmar Homes Geelong Juvenile Classic and the $8000 Vinmar Homes Geelong Guineas.
There'll be a great carnival atmosphere trackside with free children's rides, live music and a free betting voucher for the first 100 people through the gate thanks to the TAB.
