Boom sprinter Lightning VISION will contest the heats of the TAB Million Dollar Chase at Dapto on Thursday, after connections decided to follow the old sporting adage: “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”
Lightning VISION, winner of the Zoom Top Maiden at Goulburn just three starts back, and a veteran of only five starts, was initially not considered likely to contest the rich series, due mainly to his inexperience. But following a discussion between trainer Neil Staines and the dog’s owner Jack Savaglia, they decided to give the series a shot and target the Dapto heats.
“You look at it and he’s not too young, he’s 28 months old, he just hasn’t done a lot of racing yet,” Staines said. “I had a chat to the owner and he’s quite prepared to go down that road and he left it up to me really.
“I think the dog is up to it. I didn’t expect we would be in it but you’ve got to have a crack at it. It’s a long time to wait for the next one. One day is a long time in a dog’s life.
“We were looking and trying to pick where the strongest heats are going to be, and even that is difficult.
“With the draw and the field, it hasn’t panned out really well for us, but that’s racing, and it’s something you’ve got to live with.
“He’s got a bit of speed underneath him with Franky’s dog (trainer Frank Hurst’s Good Odds Meghan). There doesn’t seem to be too much speed outside but I notice the six does come down. We’ll see what happens.
”The idea was to get in early and see if we could get him qualified and then give him a bit of a look around Wenty. And there’s no pressure with Dapto, as you have Goulburn (heats) down the track if he doesn’t get through here.”
Lightning VISION was beaten at his first start in the heats of the Grafton Maiden Series back in July when he was “Still a bit green.”
Staines then took him to Goulburn for their Zoom Top Maiden Series where he was dazzling winning his heat and final in fast times, and by a cumulative 11 lengths. Since then he has had two more starts at Goulburn and again won each in fast times, and by a combined margin of 10 lengths.
“The dog is going well, and I couldn’t be happier with the way he is, so that’s why we’re going to give it a shot,” Staines said.
“He’s had a look at Dapto and he handled it pretty well, and the 500m won’t worry him one bit.”
Lightning VISION is in the first of three heats at Dapto, a club making their debut in the TAB Million Dollar Chase in 2019. Other notables to head to Dapto for their heats are Cawborne Marty, Good Odds Buddy, Fast Not Furious and Fancy Irene.
The $10,000 to the winner Beteasy Maiden Final is also on Thursday having been rescheduled from last Thursday when rain washed out half of the card.
