It’s the biggest and richest greyhound race on the planet and guarantees immortality for the winner – but it takes more than that to get Doreen Drynan carried away.
The western Sydney trainer is NSW’s only representative in tonight’s $420,000-to-the-winner Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup with Chica Destacada (both pictured).
This year’s Group 1 National Sprint Champion is a live chance jumping from box two, having qualified last week with a superb 29.22 run.
Drynan admits a few nerves may be jangling when she reaches the Sandown Park boxes tonight but until race time she is keeping cool.
“Why would you change your routine just because the race is worth more money?” she said. “I think you could come undone if you try and change things.
“Winning would be the pinnacle of my training career. It’s extra special because we bred her as well.
“(But) it’s same old, same old for me.”
Last week’s heat victory took Chica Destacada’s record to 12 wins and eight placings from 31 starts.
The sprinter, who is a $7 pre-race shot with TAB, won the Nationals in WA from box two and looks in great shape ahead of the big race.
She is known for her lightning-fast starts and Drynan reckons her sprinter will need another one again in the final.
“I think whoever leads has a big chance,” Drynan said.
“A wider draw would have been better – most of her wins have come from box six. She seems to come out and go straight there (whereas) she does step a little bit right from the inside.
“But you could run this race a dozen times and get a dozen different winners – they’re all great greyhounds.”
This year’s hard-earned Nationals victory was a first Group 1 success for Drynan after more than four decades of training.
The English-born trainer, who served in the British Army during the late 1950s, works out of a five-acre property at Llandilo alongside daughter Kerry.
Whatever the result, you can bet there will be no mad celebrations for dedicated trainer.
“I’m heading back to Sydney soon after the race,” Drynan said. “We have plenty of dogs and I can’t expect Kerry to be doing everything.
“Maybe I’ll get a bit nervous before the race but I’m fine now.
“She looks really well and is jumping out of her skin. She’s had good preparation and now it’s all up to her.”
Stayer Space Star (box 4) is the sole NSW hope in the night’s other big race, the $100,000-to-the-winner Group 1 Solo Bold Trease Carnival Cup (715m).
Racing at Sandown starts at 7pm, with the Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup jumping at 9.24pm.
TAB Melbourne Cup Box Draw (TAB Fixed Odds draw in brackets): 1.Keybow ($2.60); 2. Chica Destacada ($7); 3. Above All ($4.50); 4. Awesome Project ($13); 5. Cosmic Wise ($51); 6. Star Recall ($13); 7. Luca Neveelk ($18); 8. Dyna Villa ($4.50)
