Perhaps some would say it didn’t mean anything. After all, with only one heat, each of the eight runners in Saturday’s TAB Million Dollar Chase event at The Gardens would advance to next week’s Regional Final regardless. Just don’t tell Anne Foley it didn’t mean much.
Anne could not hide her delight after Knight’s Page took out The Gardens heat.
“This means a lot to me, it means a lot to my husband Barry and even more to his owner Gayle Masterson,” Anne said following the 29.84s win.
Gayle Masterson had also trained Knight's Page but when she was hospitalised for a knee operation last month, she handed over Knight’s Page to Foley and her husband Barry.
Since joining the Foley kennel, Knight's Page has had five starts for three wins, winning at Wentworth Park, and also at The Gardens in the consolation of the Group 2 Black Top, The MACCA on August 30, in a time faster than the Black Top winner Aston Duke ran.
“It’s very exciting to have won this,” Anne said. “We have set this dog for this race for a while now hoping he would get though the first bit and he has, and now hopefully he can get through next week and then on to Wenty Park (for the MDC semi-finals).
“He won The MACCA in 29.45s and it was absolutely pouring rain, but this sort of company … he’s never met this sort of company before, and to be able to beat them, for a young dog of two years and two months, it’s not a bad effort.
“Hopefully he can repeat it next week.”
Second went to the resuming Federal Lilly, with Victorian Get It Gizmo - now in Jason Mackay’s kennel - finishing third. Reigning Million Dollar Chase champion Mystic Riot was fifth, but the good news for trainer Peter Lagogiane is that she has drawn better in the Regional Final.
The box draw for the final is: 1 Miley Nismo 2 Federal Lilly 3 Sheba’s Dream 4 Get It Gizmo 5 Eye Rock 6 Mystic Riot 7 Knight’s Page 8 Galaxy Banner.
