Big race specialist trainer Jason Thompson landed yet another Group 1 winner when Moreira scored a hard earned victory in Saturday night's 27th running of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
Moreira (pictured) had to work hard to become the seventh successive Victorian to land NSW's most prestigious race with the lead changing twice in the early stages, as Knight Sprite and then Asa Killa Queen first hit the front before Moreira poked through to be the front-runner turning for home.
Brad Hill Billy then staged a late bid, taking ground off Moreira before going under by a neck.
Knight Sprite came again to finish third, ahead of outsider Blue Revolver.
The winner covered the 520m in 29.77, well outside the race record of 29.48 set by Fernando Bale in 2015.
Before Saturday night's final Jason Thompson had labelled Moreira as being "as good, if not better" than his 2012 Easter Egg winner Don't Knocka Him, who also started from box one.
And Moreira had to live up to Thompson's praise because Brad Hill Billy, renowned as being one of the most powerful finishers in training, was always going to be hard to hold out when he zoomed into fourth place with 250m to go.
Thompson said Moreira would now be aimed at the Group 1 Perth Cup at Cannington.
"This dog has never been a lid pinger. I was hoping box one would drag him out of the boxes a bit better than he had been beginning and, while he didn't come out fast, he made full use of the draw," Thompson said.
After the race Brad Hill Billy's trainer Ray Smith, from FORBES was delighted with his greyhound's run.
"My dog usually sticks to the rails and I was surprised when he went around dogs on the home turn to go out after Moreira," Smith said.
"Brad Hill Billy took the right option but the winner was just a fraction too good on the night."
Click here to view the replay of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
