Milestones were made on Saturday night at Cranbourne when Victorian speedster Up Hill Jill cracked half a million dollars in prize money by winning a heat of the Group Two Casey Steel Cranbourne Cup.
Bred, owned, and trained by Lara resident David Geall, Up Hill Jill continues to achieve heights he didn’t think was possible.
“Winning our first group one ($200,000 Topgun invitational) with Jill was very emotional, but she continues to amaze us,” David Geall said.
“Everything has that extra excitement when you have been with the dog from go to wow. This ride with Jill is what dreams are made of,”
“Cracking the half a million dollar mark in prize money is something that we haven’t been focusing on, but it is definitely an enjoyable one.”
Up Hill Jill has drawn box seven in the $67,000 Cranbourne Cup which will be run on Saturday 10 February and is the fourth and final leg of Greyhound Racing Victoria’s Gippsland Carnival.
Geall believes that the odd box may just work in her favour.
“Not many people would say they are happy with box seven, but Jill tends to perform very well from odd number boxes.”
If Up Hill Jill’s Topgun win in October where she also jumped from box seven is anything to go by she is in with every chance.
Up Hill Jill is blessed with blistering early speed, and she will have to use every ounce of it in her 62nd start (33 wins, 18 seconds and three thirds) as she faces the new kid on the block, local Poke The Bear.
“Poke The Bear is a very fast dog and he has proven that he can perform on the big stage by winning the Traralgon Cup before the Cranbourne Cup heats, but I have so much trust in Jill because she always does her best,” Geall said.
“I was wrapped with Jill’s heat win on Saturday night considering she missed the jump but was still able run the fastest first split in the heats.”
“I am also expecting improvement heading into the final because she tends to go better at her second look at a track.”
