The unexpected has occurred in the $67,000 2016 All 4 Paws Claws Resort Healesville Cup (350m) today with Zipping Arnold taking out Victoria’s richest straight greyhound race at odds of $21.10.
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Shrewd punters would have been aware of Zipping Arnold’s chances in the race given trainer Ian Cockerell’s comments following his heat win last week.
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“I trialled him here three months ago and he trialled real, real good. Next week you’ll see a better Arnold,” Cockerell warned.
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It was the Cockerell kennel’s first win at group level despite making several finals, and for Zipping Arnold it was his eighth career win from 19 starts.
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“This is the biggest race we’ve ever won. It’s a great feeling,” Cockerell said after the Healesville Cup, which carried a $47,000 first prize.
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“We’ve had finalists in country cups and Group 1 races before – Finlandia made four Group 1s for us – but we’ve never won a group race so this is pretty special.”
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Cockerell is single minded in his plans for Zipping Arnold, with next weekend’s Group 2 Shepparton Cup (450m) heats on the radar.
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“There’ll be some top dogs in the Shepparton Cup. I know (trainer) Anthony Azzopardi is taking a few of his greyhounds there. But I don’t think there’s a faster dog in Australia over 450 metres than Zipping Arnold.”
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“The problem has been when he draws in races later than Race 4, as we don’t see the best of him because he isn’t a good kennel dog. He gets too excited and plays up in the kennel before his races, so the less time he spends in the kennel the better he performs.”
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“We tried a few different things with him today though, and they worked. So hopefully we’ve unlocked the key to him.”
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Zipping Arnold ran 19.02sec to win the Healesville Cup, scoring a narrow win over highly fancied Jason Thompson-trained duo Invictus Rapid and Jack Walker.
Zipping Arnold (Don’t Knocka Him – Yarramundi Flash) was bred and is owned by the Hallinan Hallinan Syndicate in NSW.
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Earlier in the day, Healesville hosted the Chairman’s Trophy, a race for female trainers only, with Spritely Pizazz winning for trainer Joyce Condon.
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Zipping Arnold wins the 2016 Healesville Cup.
WATCH: Ian Cockerell tells of Zipping Arnold’s chances after his heat win last week.
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WATCH: Spritely Pizazz wins the Chairman’s Trophy on Healesville Cup day.
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Trainer Ian Cockerell glances at the winning time.
GRV CEO Alan Clayton presents Ian and Lisa Cockerell with the Healesville Cup.
Zipping Arnold with the Cockerell family.
Healesville Cup placegetters Zipping Arnold (centre), Jack Walker (left) and Invictus Rapid.
Zipping Arnold wears the Healesville Cup winning rug with pride.
Spritely Pizazz wins the supporting feature race, the Chairman’s Trophy.
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HEALESVILLE RESULTS: CLICK HERE
HEALESVILLE CUP PHOTO GALLERY
