For Jason MacKAY, the dream really began back in 2001, when his dog Banner Park finished third behind the great Brett Lee in the Golden Easter Egg final.
It ignited his passion for the race, and it instantly became the race he craved. On Saturday night at Wentworth Park, the craving was fulfilled when Zipping Bailey took out the $250,000 to the winner Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a few runners in the (Easter Egg) final over the years – I’ve had no luck, had a few favourites and bombed out – I ran third in it one year (Banner Park in 2001) to Brett Lee, and I think that just triggered something in me to make me really push for this,” MacKAY said.
“When you’re a kid growing up, all you ever dreamed of was to come to an Easter Egg night and watch it. It’s the ant’s pants race. It’s something you look at and think ….
“It’s hard it put that into perspective but that was something else that run. That’s a special little bitch, to pick herself up like that and get home.
In one of the truly great performances in the race’s 30-year history, Zipping Bailey was three lengths last passing the post the first time, giving leader and favourite Federal Lilly almost 10 lengths, but produced a staggering finishing burst, clocking a stunning 11.40s for the final section, and 29.92s to win the Group 1 event.
“He’s a real mate of mine Peter Lagogiane who had the second dog (Federal Lilly). His dog led and that’s where he had to be, and I’m looking at the gap to where his dog was to mine, and you’re really no hope.
“But she never gives in and she’s got that barnstorming finish and that’s how it played today.”
Back in 2016, Mackay">Mac">MacKAY won the Melbourne Cup with Ando's Mac, and declared last night’s win the equal.
“I was pretty emotional that night. I was lost for words and I’m never lost for words, but this is the equal of that.”
In the night’s other main feature, the Group 1 Association Cup Final, victory went to Veloce Nero, continuing a tremendous run for the Chica Destacada bloodlines.
Veloce Nero was the only member of the FernAndo Bale-Chica Destacada litter - which includes Poco Dorado, Two Times Twice and Blue Moon Rising - to have not won a Group race before last night but that was rectified when she led throughout to win in 41.90s.
Second was Litter Digger for Ray Smith with Victorian Dyna Chancer for Correy Grenfell, third.
The disappointment of the race was the favourite Tornado Tears who was slowly away, checked soon after, and then never got into the race, and was later revealed to have reinjured a pad he tore last week in the heats.
