When one door closes, another one opens. That phrase couldn’t have been more accurate for Bradley O’Neil on Thursday when he scratched Hazel Eyes from the Ladbrokes Odds Boost Exotics Final only for his emergency Myrniong Rocket to come in.
The replacement got the best possible outcome, winning what was considered a very even 318-metre race.
Tanya Trappett’s Felony One ($8.20) looked on track to get the win after racing out of the box cleanly and getting to the lead, but he couldn’t hold off Myrniong Rocket ($5.30). Daniel Foley’s Wolf Taro ($4.20) finished third, ahead of $3.20 favourite Rosa’s Revenge.
“My other dog got hurt on Monday so he went into that box and it was all up to him,” O'Neil said.
“It was a good run. I was reasonably confident when he came in [that he could win].
“He missed the jump in the heat but he came out well today, and that made a big difference.”
O’Neil said he would learn on Friday how badly Hazel Eyes was injured, but he was hopeful she would be okay.
In other races, Pamela Braddon’s Zeb’s Magic ($1.40 favourite) was far too good for everyone else as he took out the Ladbrokes Greyhound Preview Stakes over 316 metres.
He finished in a time of 18.22 seconds and was seven lengths clear of Baracca Keeping ($10.70) and Irinka Sneaky ($4.40).
Braddon claimed another win with Spring Jazz in the Paul Wasson Electrical Stakes, beating Evie’s Best and Total Refusal to the winning post.
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