Local star Weblec Jet was ‘jet-propelled’ in tonight’s Group 2 Geelong Gold Cup final (520m).
In a race where all eight finalists were from the Geelong region, Weblec Jet, trained at Anakie by Jeff Britton, clocked a near-record 29.54sec. His time was only .02sec off the 29.52sec track record, set by Fernando Express – trained by Britton’s older brother, Rob – on July 27, 2018.
Jumping brilliantly from Box 4, Weblec Jet ($3.00F) left his rivals in a ‘jet stream’ defeating ‘country cups king’ Yozo Bale ($4.00) by 4 lengths, with reserve runner Sweet As Emm ($8.90) – who was a finalist in last year’s event – a further 1.25 lengths away third in a sizzling 29.54sec.
Weblec Jet turned the tables on Yozo Bale, who narrowly defeated him in the Ballarat Cup Consolation (450m) only two weeks ago.
He registered his ninth win from 27 starts and the $50,000 first prize catapulted his stakes to $107,695.
Weblec Jet was a finalist in this year’s G1 National Derby at Wentworth Park in Sydney and last year finished second in the G3 Warragul St Leger and was a finalist in the G3 Cranbourne Classic.
WATCH: WEBLEC JET (4) began like a rocket and was never headed in the Geelong Gold Cup, defeating YOZO BALE (2) and SWEET AS EMM (9) in 29.54sec, just half a length off the 520m track record.
“He couldn’t quite get to Yozo Bale at Ballarat, but I thought the 520m would help him better,” was Britton’s succinct assessment.
It was a big night for the Britton family as Jeff’s nephew and Rob’s son, Tim, 31, had the better of his uncle in the Cup Night Match Race (520m) – dubbed the “Battle of Britton”.
Based at Lara, Tim’s rising star Utah Express ($1.80) snared the $10,000 winner-takes-all race by 1.2 lengths over Jeff’s Mepunga Warrior ($1.60F) in a flying 29.63sec. He notched his ninth win from 23 starts and his stakes jumped to $47,645.
Utah Express recently won a Launching Pad Consolation in a scorching 29.22sec at Sandown Park. He was also a finalist in the G2 Richmond Derby.
The other support feature – GRV Vic Bred Distance Series final (680m) – was won by the Angela Langton-trained Suntory Rose who keeps going from strength to strength over more ground. (Angela is Jeff Britton’s partner.)
Jumping brilliantly from Box 8, Suntory Rose ($5.60) led throughout to defeat the Tim Britton-trained Lunar Star ($8.10) by 0.25 lengths in 39.41sec.
An exciting staying prospect, Suntory Rose – a recent Launching Pad Consolation finalist – notched her seventh win from 21 starts. The $12,300 first prize lifted her stakes to $34,455.
WATCH: UTAH EXPRESS (3) showed great steel to hold off a pesky MEPUNGA WARRIOR (1) in the Cup Night Match Race clocking 29.63sec.
