Bulli about to get another dose of the Wow factor

By Jeff Collerson
Wow has blitzed his rivals after drawing wide at the past two Bulli Saturday night meetings so looks set to complete the hat-trick after coming up with a perfect box eight draw there this week. 

The Karina Britton-trained Wow will wear the pink rug in the 472m Ladbrokes Switch Stakes, a fifth grade event, and with Savoy Brown, who is usually a slow beginner, in box seven, he should get a clear run to the first turn. 

Wow bungled the jump before winning over 400m in a sizzling 22.24s at Bulli on May 9 but got away cleanly and led at the first turn for a fast 26.17s win over 472m last Saturday.

Wow shapes as the best bet of the night while Bulli newcomer Cumbria Belle could prove good value despite drawing box five in the 400m Ladbrokes Money Back Odds Stakes, a fourth and fifth grade event. 

Cumbria Belle has had seven starts for five wins and two placings but while she has not been tested over the 400m trip, trainer Steve Fitch revealed she had trialled over 340m at Bulli last week. 

"She was having her first run for eight weeks and because she had never been to Bulli, where the lure is fairly quiet, Cumbria Belle missed the start,'' Fitch said. 

"But she recorded good time and I gave her another hit-out up the straight on Wednesday and she went nicely again. 

"Because her last race was on March 12 Cumbria Belle could be short of a hard run on Saturday but I expect her to acquit herself well.'' 


Fitch also trains Cumbria Belle's sister Cumbria Ninno, who has box three in race nine, the 400m Ladbrokes Odds Boost Multi Stakes fifth grade. 

The lightly-raced Cumbria Ninno has had just four starts for a win and two seconds and while she is also making her Bulli debut, she had a 400m trial there last week. 

"She did not go brilliant time but clocked 22.80s and for her first go there I was happy,'' Fitch said. 

"The run should improve her.'' 

Hanley, a litter brother to brilliant short courser Bumpy Black, will step out from box eight in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Back Yourself Stakes, a 472m fifth grade. 

Bumpy Black has won nine of his 16 starts but Hanley, a hefty 37kg dog, has raced just once, winning over 440m at Goulburn on May 12. 

"Only reason Hanley did not begin racing until a couple of weeks back was that over Christmas I was in Canada, visiting my daughter who lives in Calgary,'' said trainer Steven Crompton. 

"Then when I got back from Canada it was February and I reckoned it was too hot to start racing Hanley

"His win at Goulburn was good considering he had not seen the track but he did have box one there and because he is a good railer he is not well drawn on the extreme outside on Saturday. 

"But Hanley, who is named after Ellery Hanley, the former Great Britain rugby league star who played here with Wests and Balmain, has trialled quick at Bulli

"And he went fast again when I trialled him at Appin on Tuesday.''

Sin Rap Blue was sent out a $2.60 favourite when third at Bulli last week but can atone in Saturday's Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Stakes, a 400m fifth grade. 

Last Saturday Sin Rap Blue missed the start and after being sixth approaching the first turn, was blocked for a run when coming home strongly in the straight. 

He did well to go down by only a length and with a clean getaway should be hard to beat this week. 

Lilly Banner will be chaSing her seventh win from her past 14 starts when she exits box two in Saturday's 400m Ladbrokes Multi Builder Free-For-All. 

The Barry Gibbons-trained bitch "came out running'' and led throughout from box four in a slick 22.32 at her most recent Bulli 400m appearance on May 9 and has drawn close to ideally in box two on Saturday. 

Best Bet Wow (race 5) 

Best Value Cumbria Belle (race 6) 

Quaddie race 5 - 8, 2, 7 

Race 6 - 5, 6, 7 

Race 7 - 7, 5 

Race 8 - 2, 6, 5 

$20 for 37.03%