French import Grey Lion is well supported in the betting for today’s Group 3 $300,000 Geelong Cup (2400m) at Geelong.
Grey Lion can go one better this year in the Geelong Cup after finishing second to Qewy, above, last year. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Grey Lion is searching for his first win on Australian soil and Ballarat trainer Matt Cumani is hoping he can go one better one better than last year when runner up to the Charlie Appleby trained English stayer Qewy in last year’s Geelong Cup.
Grey Lion is marked at $8.50 for the Geelong Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au, firming in from $10, but has been struggling to find any notable form since his Geelong Cup placing twelve months ago until last start when third behind Cox Plate entrant Folkswood and Geelong Cup rival Berisha in the Listed $300,000 Cranbourne Cup (2025m) at Cranbourne on October 15.
A change of tactics saw Dean Yendall take Grey Lion to the front in the Cranbourne Cup and Cumani would like new rider Luke Nolen to adopt similar tactics from barrier eight in the twelve horse Geelong Cup field.
“It will be up to Luke to get the fractions right,” Cumani told AAP.
“Last start we just sent him out to the front.”
“It was to trick him up as if he’s there alone or with one other horse and then maybe he’ll think he’s at home and just keep working under the urgings of the jockey.
“It was a great effort at Cranbourne.
“He just had to use himself up a little bit early on and that maybe paid a little bit at the end.”
The Darren Weir trained Gallic Chieftain is the well backed favourite at $2.90 for the Geelong Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au and has drawn gate two with Craig Williams in the saddle.
Williams will be replacing Dean Yendall who was aboard Gallic Chieftain last start when third in the Group 2 $400,000 Ladbrokes Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 14.
Yendall has taken the mount on the Archie Alexander trained Wheal Leisure (barrier 7) who is on the third line of betting at $7.50 while Weir will also saddle up the $5 second favourite Kellstorm.
