Legends galore at Traralgon Cup

Tomhayes And Liam Durkin

JUST like that, the Gippsland Festival of Racingis done and dusted for another season.

Headlined by the featureofformer AFL championGary Ablett Jr,the Gippsland Festival of Racing began on Boxing Day in Sale,before heading to Warragul in mid-January, closing with the final leg in Traralgon on Australia Day.

The evening featured a12-racecard, with the exclusive Traralgon Cup worth $47,000 to the winner,reserved for Race 8.

Meanwhile in the clubhouse, Ablett was wandering around talking to everyone he could, as an auction was held which sold thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia -the money going to Ablett’s charity.

The Bridges on Argyle Traralgon Cup Final (over 450 metres), was worth $74,335 -the winner collecting $47,000 of that pool.

MobileLegendfor Napoleons’Daryl and Colin Brennan did enough to hold of Revolution, winning by just over alength, winning all five starts from box five.

It was his sixth win from his past seven starts and 17th win from 35 overall.

Mobile Legend won two of the three legs of the Gippsland Festival of Racing, winning the G2 Warragul Cup in race recordtime afortnight ago.

“He’s alegend in our eyes,” Daryl Brennan said post-race.

“He jumpedwell, whichhehad to do tonight.You can’t givedogslike these a start.

“When he led Ididn’t think they could beat him, but the four (Revolution) ran a great race and you’renever confident until they go past the post.”

Ahealthy crowd came to Glenview Park for the occasion, with Greyhound Racing Victoria putting on agrand show. While therewas plenty of Geelong jumpers in attendance, and people wanting to get aphotowithThe Little Master, there was also live music, food trucks, ajumping castle and Lego tent for the kids.

Asmoking ceremony conducted by Tre Moffatt openedproceedingsbefore the first race.

Around 40 minutes after the last race, (in order to give the dogs enough time to leave the venue and not get spooked), a spectacular fireworks show lit up the night sky.

Anumber of local groups also benefitted from the night. Rosedale Football-Netball Club pocketed $5000 as part of acommunity partnership, while the local probus club also won asum.

During the event, Traralgon Greyhound RacingClubpresident,Don Haley,was able to speak to The Express.

“I think tonight’s racing has been fantastic, we’ve been blessed with pretty good weather culminated by the Traralgon Cup,the winnerisa terrificdog,” Haley said.

“The carnival has been going for three or four years nowand it’s really come into its own, Ithink alot morepeople areattending because they realisethat its just agreat spectacle.”

The Traralgon Greyhound Club is one of the busiest and most activeclubs in Victoria.

“We’reracing five times afortnight, which when you add it all up Iunderstand is the highest number of races in Victoria,” he said.

“We’d ratherberacing morefrequently than less frequently.”

Haley believedthe support ofAblett throughout the whole festivalofracing had been immense.

“It’sbeen great for all the clubs; Sale and Warragul and again tonight. It’s hardto measure how many peoplehave come along because Gary Ablett is in attendance, but we know there’s certainly alot of people that have come along that may not have otherwise,” he said.

“He’s been a great ambassador for greyhound racing in this carnival, and I think having a celebrity like him (Gary Ablett) is agood thing.

“When we race at night time, we’ve got the bigscreen, great lighting on abig track and it all comes onto its own at night.

“Having celebrities like Gary Ablett bring new people to the sport, he’s not going to be around all year,but alot of thesepeople will return.”

Ablett is no stranger to Gippsland, as his famousfatherofcourse grew up in Drouin.

The two-time Brownlow medallist also has some connections closer to the Latrobe Valley, and is good friendswith current Hill End Football-Netball Club senior coach Mike Santo.

Ablett tossed the coin at amatch between Hill End and Mirboo North in 2021, ayear after he retired following a357-game AFL career

The rumour mill was rife at the time Ablett was actually going to play agame for the Hillmen, but so far,he is yet to pull on the boots.

For those wondering what Ablett was like in person, he was very generousand gaveeveryone that came up to him the time of day.

Relaying astory to him about his younger brother Nathanbatting in asombrerowhile playing cricket for Hallora, Ablett Jr just laughed and said “that doesn’tsurprise me”.

Granted he has been out of the game for two-and-a-half years,he still didn’tlook like amodern-day midfielder,and on first glance, you couldn’t help but think he’d getbowledover by the likes ofa Patrick Cripps, Ollie Wines or Dustin Martin.

But then again, you don’t really have to worry about tackling when you get the ball so much.