Grumpee, driven by Chris Alford, wins the 2024 Wedderburn Trotters Cup (2690m)

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Grumpee, driven by Chris Alford and trained by Alison Alford, wins the 2024 Priority 1 Wedderburn Trotters Cup (2690m) at Maryborough on Sunday, January 28.  Video courtesy of TrotsVision/Harness Racing Victoria

Transcript

00:00 and Trotters Cup. They're in formation. They're about to move up. Fingers cross

00:06 everyone for a third attempt. Third time lucky. Handheld. They're moving up. Stand

00:14 by. Set. Tapes release and away. And Sangriel leads to the cheers of the

00:23 crowd. From in second spot GC Calder about 20 metres away now. Wish upon a

00:28 dream from easy picking Sonny Brooke. El Rissamo Blue Coman. Further back Imperial

00:34 Wiz. He was slow to begin. El Rissamo has gone for a gallop. Getting through to

00:39 field there was Baltica. It settles towards the tail with Grumpy. Back

00:44 Majestic or Bell. Where's Mercery? Oh my goodness. The favourite. He's about 60-70

00:50 metres away off the second last horse and just ahead of it was El Rissamo. So

00:54 Mercery's job is not looking that promising. As they come into the home

00:59 straight now and the leader and showing the way is John Keldo with Sangriel. He

01:04 led the first two attempts. He's led the third one and that's the race and it's

01:08 on in earnest and Sangriel controls the race. From GC Calder second. Third Blue

01:15 Coman. Fourth wish upon a dream. Baltica gets to the 1-1. Grumpy 1 out 2 back

01:20 on the outside of Sonny Brooke. As they leave the home straight now. We've just

01:25 less than two laps to go. On the back of Grumpy was Imperial Wiz. Easy pickings.

01:30 Majestic or Bell. El Rissamo 20 metres away to Mercery. They're not going hard

01:35 and they're nearly back to where they started from. So they've covered the

01:38 first circuit and Sangriel with Johnny Keldo on board leads by a metre to the

01:44 grey Blue Coman who whipped around to sit outside this leader. In third GC

01:49 Calder. There's a move by Majestical Bell. Bellman tries to come around him with a

01:53 slow tempo and Sangriel getting a good run out in front. Majestical Bell now

01:58 moves around into second place and goes up to have a look for the lead and

02:02 Keldo was happy to hand up and Majestical Bell strolls to the lead. From

02:06 Sangriel Blue Coman third. In fourth spot there was GC Calder from Baltica.

02:12 1-1 from Grumpy. Wish upon a dream. Imperial Wiz. Sonny Brooke. Easy pickings.

02:17 El Rissamo and Mercenary. He's out of the race. He's 30 metres away. 1.31.4

02:23 lead time. First quarter in 30 seconds and Majestical Bell off the handicap was

02:30 able to get around the field to take up the running. The grey Blue Coman races

02:34 without cover and Sangriel was content to take the trail. Baltica's had a good

02:39 run. So has Grumpy. The speed hasn't been far so. Then came GC Calder from

02:45 Wish Upon a Dream. Imperial Wiz. Sonny Brooke. El Rissamo. Easy pickings and 40

02:50 metres away to Mercenary. They head to the back. 30.8 the second quarter.

02:55 60.8 the half and Majestical Bell leads. Blue Coman tries to get within the long

03:01 neck of it. Sangriel just being tapped up there by John Keldo. Just lost the back

03:06 of Majestical Bell. Then came Baltica. Further back GC Calder. Grumpy yet to go

03:12 from Wish Upon a Dream. El Rissamo. Imperial Wiz. They head off the back

03:16 straight. Third quarter comes up in 27.6. Majestical Bell leads. Blue Coman sticks

03:23 on. Baltica looking at chance. Sangriel's trying to pick up and then Grumpy

03:28 coming to the home turn. Majestical Bell leads the way. Baltica out deep on the

03:33 tracks. Letting down with a big sprint. Baltica goes up and hits the lead. Grumpy

03:38 starting to come late. Sangriel further back. Baltica being tackled by Grumpy.

03:42 Baltica and Grumpy. Grumpy's going home over the top of them and Grumpy gets

03:47 home in a wetter burn. Trotters cut from Baltica's second. Third Majestical Bell.

03:52 A fourth. A wish upon a dream. GC Calder. Sangriel was pretty disappointing.

03:57 Blue Coman did plenty of work. Then easy pickings. El Rissamo. Imperial Wiz. Sonny

04:03 Brooke and a long long gap to mercenary. 29.3 the final quarter and a mile rate

04:09 of 25.1. Number eight Grumpy getting home in the priority one property wetter

04:18 burn Trotters Cup and a good performance by number eight Grumpy saluting.

04:24 Fellas in Alford and Chris Alford. Congratulations to the Alford family. They

04:30 do a fantastic job and Chris Alford edges a little bit closer to that

04:35 magical 8,000 winners. He gets a job done here number eight Grumpy from 12 Baltica

04:43 13 Majestical Bell and 5 GC Calder. 8, 12, 13 and 5.

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