Buddy ready for Anniversary Cup
A massive 12-race program awaits at Angle Park headlined by the 52nd running of the Anniversary Cup with an excellent mix of interstate and local chasers set to contest the final for an elevated prize pool of $50,000.
One interstate chaser who will have strong claims in the final is the Lyn Smith-trained Buddy Monelli with the Victorian being handled by Nicole Price while he is in South Australia.
Fresh off recent form lines which include making the semi-finals of the Australian Cup, winning a heat of the Perth Cup and taking out a free-for-all at Sandown, Buddy Monelli ran third in the heat of the Anniversary Cup despite drawing unfavourably out wide.
“Reports are that he has pulled up really well and he’s feeling good,” Price said of Buddy Monelli.
“I own another dog with the owners that here at the moment that I am pre-breaking in with the owners (of Buddy Monelli) so they have asked me to handle him while he’s over here.”
With the box draw conducted on course last Thursday night, Buddy Monelli drew into box one and while the New South Wales trio for trainer Charmaine Roberts drawn into boxes two, three and four.
The draw is ideal for Buddy Monelli who boasts an impressive record from the red box with four wins and two placings from seven starts from the draw.
“Obviously, he was drawn wide last week which didn’t help but the box draw this week has helped him for the final,” Price said.
“It’s very exciting (to draw one). Box eight was not perfect especially for your first look and for a hard railer like he is.
“He is drawn perfectly off the red and loves the rails but he will need to jump though. He’ll have to use his box so that he can hold his position because there will be a lot of pace coming and he will have to hold his position.”
An experienced greyhound with 18 wins from 47 career starts, Price said Buddy Monelli handled the trip to Adelaide well and would be better for the experience in its second run at Angle Park.
“He’s a very professional dog, he is very calm and you can see he handles everything well and
takes it in his stride,” Price said.
“I think nothing really phases him, you can tell why he’s good at what he does like he isn’t a nervous dog or anything. He stayed here after coming over early and he just goes to bed.”
Rated a $6 chance on the third line of betting in the TAB marker, behind Riot Rooster ($2,40) and Zali Keeping ($3.80), Price thinks Buddy Monelli will be in with an excellent chance in the race but will have to continue to show improvement.
“Just by having a look at the track, I think the second time out, he’s just going to improve heaps,” Price said.
“Box eight just clearly wasn’t where he wanted so when he jumped, he came straight down to the rail and he lost his position really.
“So being on the rail straight up and I think its just very happy where he’s drawn definitely, he’ll be right in the race.”
While Price is handling Buddy Monelli, she will also have Spontaneous engaged in race seven which is a mixed 4/5 race.
Having taken out the Breeders Prelude earlier this month, Spontaneous is firmly targeting next month’s Group 3 Howard Ashton series.
“(The Howard Ashton0 That’s where we are trying to go and just keep him ticking a little bit. He is probably out graded on Thursday night but you know it is what it is,” Price said.
“We seem to be drawing out wide which is not where we want but he is better drawn this week.”
Price has enjoyed a terrific start to 2024, both at Gawler and Angle Park collecting more than 50 winners while short-course star Boots broke the Gawler 400m track record.
“We have started off a lot stronger this year, which is very exciting,” Price said.
“We were only in our third year since moving here so we have only sort of got big in the last two years to jump as quickly as we are it is just amazing.
“Boots breaking the track record was unexpected, I know he’s a good dog but to do that as well its just been an awesome start to the year.”