It’s not quite the last chance saloon, but on Tuesday Goulburn will be the 14th and final regional venue to host heats of the TAB Million Dollar Chase.
There will still be city qualifiers at Wentworth Park on October 5, but the Goulburn series - which culminates with a Regional Final on September 29 - will be the final chances for four dogs to advance to the Chase semi-finals from the regions.
The Goulburn club has drawn two heats and both are full of quality dogs.
The interesting runner is the Andrew Crouch-trained Incredible Hero, a litter brother to their smart bitch Sorry Scott, who will also contest the heats at Goulburn.
Incredible Hero only arrived at the Crouch kennel last week from Western Australia where he has done all his racing. He has had 40 starts there for 12 wins and 14 placings, and in more recent times has been racing over longer trips.
“We have only had him about a week,” Andrew’s son Adam said. “We have been in contact with the owner for quite a while - obviously he’s Sorry Scott’s brother - and the owner rang a week or two ago and I asked if they could send him over for us to train.
“He’s got plenty of pace so we thought Goulburn was a good option for him.
“We trialled him yesterday there and the track was pretty slow given the conditions with the snow earlier this week, but he trialled really well and his time was good for the track condition, and his first section was also good.”
Incredible Hero has drawn the three, alongside brilliant youngster Lightning VISION who won the Zoom Top Maiden at the track back in August, and is unbeaten in four starts at Goulburn, owning a best time of a slick 24.60s.
Also in the heat is Lagoon Rhett, Tennessee Tiger, Spookie VISION and Victorian Feikuai Donna.
Sorry Scott has drawn the other heat and will meet the likes of Global Impact, Hardaway Harada, and another Victorian, the Deb Coleman-trained Immediate, winner of his past two starts in the best of the day figures at Warrnambool and Shepparton.
Sorry Scott qualified for the Gosford Regional Final of the Million Dollar Chase on September 10, but fell in the race won by Double Back.
“She is probably not drawn well (box 4) and it’s a pretty tough heat, but we also trialled her down there yesterday and she went well, so hopefully with a bit of luck she can run first four and make the final,” Adam said.
“If she misses out we always have the Wenty heats to fall back on.”
