Favourite backers were smiling after the regional qualifying heats of the GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase at LADBROKES GARDENS on Friday.
Two heats of the event were held with the final set to be staged next Friday, and thankfully for punters – unlike the case at a couple of the other venues in the regional series - there were no major surprises and everything went pretty much to script.
In the opening heat Drink Schooners jumped well from the one, and won the battle for the front with Elusive Wave and True Talent, racing away down the back to record a 29.45s win. Both Elusive Wave and True Talent qualified for the final after filling the placings, with Smiley Mulwee also advancing.
For Drinks Schooners and his trainer Michelle Sultana, it was a well-deserved change of luck when it comes to qualifying for finals.
Drink Schooners produced a phenomenal performance to finish second in the heat of the Sires On Ice Group 2 Black Top behind True Talent on August 24 when stumbling at the start, then produced another great run when third in a heat of the Group 1 Dapto Megastar last Thursday week.
“I’m over the moon to be honest,” Michelle said. “Just to be making it through to a final.
“The last two runs he’s had, with the heats of the Black Top and then last week with the heats of the Megastar, he’s put in massive runs and he’s just fell short, so to get through to this one, it’s great.
“He trialled enormous here at The Gardens when I brought him up for the Black Top and his first section was like 4.87s - he flew out. Then in the heat he stepped on a nut when he came out, then produced an enormous run to run second in the heat.”
Michelle said with so many events around the same time, she wasn’t sure where she would got to try to qualify for the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals.
“There was too much going on with the Black Top then to Dapto, with heats and finals, I just didn’t make up my mind where I’d go until he didn’t make the Megastar final last week.
“I was going to go to Nowra but they were on Monday so it was a bit close for me (after Dapto the previous Thursday) to put him in, and he had gone really well at The Gardens, so that’s where I thought I would go.”
The news continued to be good for Michelle when Drink Schooners came up with the two in next week’s final.
“I’m happy with that,” she said.
In the second heat, the Seona Thompson-trained Aston Duke (pictured) jumped well but took a bit of time to assert his authority over My Gal Penny, but once he did down the back straight, he was away, and raced away to post 29.33s.
That time surpassed his previous best at the track a 29.40s run when second to Set To Storm in a heat of Black Top last month.
My Gal Penny stuck on well for second with Cohen’s Dream and Dashing Pace also qualifying for the final.
The box draw for the LADBROKES GARDENS Regional Final is:
2- Drink Schooners
3- My Gal Penny
4-Elusive Wave
5-Cohen’s Dream
8-True Talent
9-Franky’s Wish
10-Amy’s Will
