There are no ambitious immediate plans for Jamella Jet despite the former Tasmanian's sensational second placing behind Mystic Riot in last week's GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park.
While full honours - and the $1 million winner's cheque - were with the JODIE and Peter Lagogiane-trained Mystic Riot, there have not been many runner-up performances as remarkable as that of Jamella Jet, from hobby trainer Andrew Crouch's kennel.
Mystic Riot timed the start perfectly and was well clear at the first turn, but Jamella Jet, invariably a slow beginner, bungled the jump completely and left the 520m boxes three lengths behind the second-last finalist.
Jamella Jet, a noted strong finisher, looked likely to overhaul Mystic Riot when he launched into second position approaching the home bend, but the early effort told in the straight and he either ran out of "gas'' or the winner simply dug in too deep.
Mystic Riot clung on to win by three-quarters of a length from Jamella Jet, who produced one of the most impressive efforts of a beaten dog in a Group 1 race in decades.
What was especially pleasing was that Andrew Crouch was among the first to offer congratulations to Peter Lagogiane, hugging the winner's trainer despite experiencing the disappointment of taking away $100,000 for second place instead of the $1 million cheque.
Andrew's son Adam said: "Jamella Jet ran a super race but it is obviously hard to give a big start to a greyhound like Mystic Riot when she is covering the 520m in sizzling time like 29.67.
"We have decided to just take Jamella Jet through the grades now because he is still a fifth grade greyhound at 'Wentworth Park.
"We are going to concentrate on getting him to begin better, certainly at least more sharply than he did in the Million Dollar Chase.''
It was Adam Crouch who spotted Jamella Jet being offered for sale for $15,000 by his Tasmanian owner David Booth, and while that sale to a client of the Crouch’s ultimately fell through, Booth left the dog with the Crouch family to be trained in NSW.
Incidentally, Jamella Jet's second placing in the Million Dollar Chase garnered good press coverage in the Tasmanian media due to the dog's "Apple Isle'' connection.
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Jamella Jet, like the winner Mystic Riot and minor placegetter Sky Wave, is trained in the Londonderry region and local trainer Frank Hurst continued the area's winning trend by taking out Thursday's Maitland Future Stars Final with Good Odds Harada.
Hurst and his wife Tracey showed keen judgment when they purChased a quartet of four month old puppies from the breeder Barry Ward just over 14 months ago.
The pups were by Collision from Ward's great producer Solar Pak, whose previous offspring include luminaries such as Little Digger, Zagati, Off The Leash and Nino De Oro.
Youngsters selected by the Hursts now race as Good Odds Harada, Good Odds Buddy, Good Odds Meghan and Good Odds Snake.
Good Odds Harada won his heat of the Future Stars in 22.37 but trimmed those smart figures down to a sizzling 22.25 to win Thursday's 400m final.
"There is nothing between these four pups,'' Frank Hurst said.
"Good Odds Harada has only raced over 400m but he will run 520m for sure.
"But they are only babies, just over 18 months old, and probably won't see Wentworth Park until next year.
"We had intended spelling them over Christmas and bringing them back early in 2019 but we will wait and see about that.''
Good Odds Buddy has been runner-up in each of two starts at Maitland while Good Odds Meghan finished second in a heat of the Future Stars.
"Good Odds Snake is just as good but has not yet raced due to injury,'' Frank Hurst said.
"Winning the Future Stars, a few days after the NSW trifecta in the Million Dollar Chase, has been great for Londonderry, which has long been a true greyhound racing district.''
