VICTORIAN-trained greyhounds totally dominated the first Wentworth Park round of the GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase, winning all five heats on Saturday night.
The Robert Britton-trained Benali set the standard with an all-the-way win in heat three in 29.29sec, the fastest 520m figures at WP in two years, when he defeated fellow Victorian Alpha Georgiou, prepared by Britton's brother Jeff, by nearly 10 lengths.
The Correy Grenfell-trained Orson Allen had scored his 11th win in 23 starts when he led throughout to win heat in 29.43, with local heroine Miss Splendamiro a desperately unlucky second.
Miss Splendamiro bunlged the start and after being fifth early zoomed into second place behind Orson Allen leaving the back straight.
But she got onto the leader's heels and lost considerable ground, before flashing home to go under by a half length.
Orson Allen's trainer Grenfell won two other heats, with Dyna Chancer, who ran down Sound Advice in 29.82, and with Dyna Terror, drawn as second reserve but who got a start from box eight and led throughout in 30.01sec.
Robert Britton landed a winning double when Not Available, owned by Lithgow's Paul Roach, finished determinedly along the rails to narrowly topple crack fellow Victorian Dyna Patty in heat five in 29.59sec.
Roach explained later that Not Available, who has now earned $120,000 in prizemoney, was a gift to him from Hunter Valley breeder Kevin Gordon.
"Kevin gave Not Available to me just after the dog had been broken in,'' Roach said.
"He had one start for me at Richmond last year and was unplaced, but he had trialled 30.10 at Wenty and had clocked record time at Lithgow so I knew he was very smart.
"So after the Richmond run I sent Not Available to Robert Britton to train and the dog hasn't looked back, having now won 23 of his 54 starts.''
It's been a long while since NSW has had such a strong lineup of staying greyhounds and Taken King indicated he could be a long-distance star of the future with an impressive first-up 720m win over a strong lineup at WP on Saturday night.
The JODIE Lord-trained Taken King was third early and after moving into second place at the first turn took the lead from favourite Zipping Kelly going through the catching pen.
Taken King then hung on strongly to score by one-and-a-half lengths from Zipping Kelly with Eleanor Rascal a gallant third, nearly two lengths away.
Taken King stopped the clock at a sizzling 41.86, and is almost certainly the first greyhound to break the 42sec barrier at his initial 720m appearance at WP.
His quick time came just three nights after Poco Dorado had led throughout at WP in 41.71, the fastest 720m figures at headquarters since 2016.
There will be another five heats of the Million Dollar Chase at WP next Saturday night, with the remaining quintet of qualifying races at the same venue a week later.
See you next week!
