TAB Million Dollar semi-finals
After six City qualifiers at Wentworth Park last Saturday, the 64 semi-finalists in the TAB Million Dollar Chase have been finalised, and the fields for Friday night’s semis have been drawn.
Eight semi-finals will be run with the winners only advancing to the $1 million to the winner Grand Final to be run the following Friday, October 18.
Semi-final one sees defending champion Mystic Riot taking on some talented Victorians, and a bevy of blacks – Black Opium, Black Signature, Black Maxie and Black Forge. Also threats in the race are Northern Rivers sprinter Painted Picture, and last start Wenty winner Waging War.
Semi-final two sees everyone’s favourite, Feral Franky drawn in the four against a pair of classy Victorians Curt Lee (Pictured) and Slingshot Hammer.
The third semi has Good Odds Harada clashing with Eight Ball and Federal Lilly, while semi four sees Victoria’s Shima Shine meeting Good Odds Buddy, Lightning VISION and Buck’s Future.
The fifth semi-final has Pindari Express clashing with Victorian Jaro Bale, National Sprint Champion Premium Share, and last year’s runner-up Jamella Jet.
Semi six is an open affair with Victorian Zipping Norton well boxed in the red, and a big threat along with his kennelmate Immediate.
Get It Gizmo looks perfectly placed in semi seven, while his kennelmate Flying Bazza also looks well placed, to exit the red box in the last semi-final.
For the full fields head to the www.thedogs.com.au.
Watch Get It Gizmo win at Wentworth Park on Saturday here
New Favourite for the TAB Million Dollar Chase
Following the box draws for the Friday’s semi-finals of the TAB Million Dollar Chase, the series now has a new favourite to take out the $1 million Grand Final.
The Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Harada is into outright $6 favourite with tab.com.au, replacing cult hero Franky">Feral Franky at the top of the markets.
The Feral is on the Next line of betting at $8, but has been joined by Victorians Shima Shine who has drawn well in the eight in his semi-final, Get It Gizmo - now trained by Jason Mackay – who won well at Wentworth Park on Saturday and also has drawn a nice semi-final, and Curt Lee, an impressive Wenty winner on Saturday in fast time, who will race against Feral Franky in semi-final number two on Friday night.
Next in betting is another early favourite Black Opium, National Sprint Champion Premium Share who trialled well at Wentworth Park on Saturday, Pindari Express, and Golden Easter Egg runner-up Federal Lilly.
Watch MDC favourite Good Odds Harada win at Wenty last Saturday here
Sydney Cup heats this Friday
Three heats of the Group 1 Sydney Cup for stayers will be held on Friday night at Wentworth Park, with the headline act being track record holder Tornado Tears.
The Rob Britton-trained superstar will clash with fellow Victorian She Will Bloom who defeated Tornado Tears when the last met, at The Meadows, late last month.
Other leading hopes in the series will be the in-form Jodie Lord stayer Just Terms, a winner of four of five at Wenty over the 720m, Victorian Rajasthan, West Australian stayer Boom Down, and classy New Zealander Dyna Weslyn, a winner of 25 of her 37 starts.
Watch Tornado Tears set the Wentworth Park track record here
Masters Meteor Heats
While the Million Dollar Chase was the main event last October, one of the highlights on the night was the Masters Meteor and the win of the Evelyn Harris-trained Cosmic Bonus.
The series for veteran greyhounds captured the imagination of all, and the emotion shown that night by Harris was overwhelming.
A year on, a year older, and Cosmic Bonus is back to defend his crown with four heats of the series to be held on Wednesday at Wentworth Park.
Cosmic Bonus - who actually recorded a time faster than the MDC winner Mystic Riot that night – is now just two months shy of his fifth birthday, but going better than ever, and has twice this year broken the Casino 411m track record.
Overall his record stands at a stunning 116 for 55 wins and 35 placings and over $366,000 in prizemoney.
The first two in each heat will advance to the $100,000 to the winner final to be run on TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Final night, October 18.
A great initiative to extend the racing careers of dogs, between the 29 dogs in the Masters Meteor series, they have raced an amazing 2035 times, and recorded 459 wins.
Cosmic Bonus is drawn in heat two of the Masters Meteor, alongside Jason Mackay’s Zipping Clive, considered one of the big chances to win the series, while the ever-consistent Rita’s Boy for Mark Gatt has drawn perfectly in box one.
Other notables in the series are Drink Schooners in heat one, heat three is very strong with Zipping Potter, Dual Keroma, Little Digger, and last year’s runner-up and third placegetter behind Cosmic Bonus, Blabba Mouth and Springcreek Bill.
While the fourth heat will feature two greyhounds who were Million Dollar Chase semi-finalists 12 months ago, Bogan Doonie and Fast Car Driving.
Watch Cosmic Bonus win the 2018 Masters Meteor here
Young Star Classic
While the veterans get their event, so too do the young up and coming sprinters in the Young Star Classic.
Heats of the event will run alongside those for Masters Meteor this Wednesday at Wentworth Park.
Jason Mackay’s smart youngster Aston Sapporo will clash with the in-form Really Unreal, the speedy Kamikaze Cowlick, and the Darryl Thomas-trained One Strange Dude, a winner of four from five and a slick 29.45s win at The Gardens last start, in the opening heat.
In the second heat Knight’s Page - who has been contesting the TAB Million Dollar Chase at the regionals, and won a heat of the event at The Gardens as well as winning The MACCA, the Black Top Consolation, will be hard to beat.
In the third heat the one to beat will be Zipping Truvy, already a 29.76s winner at Wentworth Park, and last start she was third, just a length behind Feral Franky, in 29.63s at Wenty.
Also in the heat are Dapto maiden winner El Rapido for Jodie Lord, My Mate Clarrie who has won nine of 11 starts, and the handy Blue Summer Sky who has drawn the red.
In the final heat, there are a number of chances including Jet Jackson, Poacher, Miss Blue Ivy, Zipping Veyron, and Irinka Sadie.
Watch Aston Sapporo win at The Gardens here
Canberra at Goulburn announcement
The Canberra Greyhound Racing Club and Greyhound Racing NSW wish to advise racing participants of a change in grading and prize money for future Canberra@Goulburn meetings, conducted at the Goulburn.
The Canberra Club races under Licence at the Goulburn venue while the Canberra Club contests the ban on racing in the ACT. For the Canberra Club to provide financially viable race meetings , future meetings will see prize money paid at the previous standardised "TAB C " level along with "TAB C" grading and race programming .
Canberra@Goulburn will be racing on a number of Sundays and Thursdays.
The changes will show in the racing calendar at www.thedogs,com.au website.
This change does not affect the "Goulburn B " meetings which will continue as “TAB B” prize money and grading.
The racing schedule for Canberra@Goulburn for October is Sunday 13th October, Thursday 17th October, Thursday 24th October and Thursday 31st October.
Go here to see all the details
Coonamble Carnival Weekend
Many people once again were able to tick something off their bucket list with big crowds heading to Coonamble for their annual October Long Weekend carnival.
A total of 20 races were held across two meetings on Friday, with more than $22,000 in prize money handed out at the evening meeting following a GRNSW decision to elevate the meeting to TAB prize money.
Another 19 races were held on Saturday, with the carnival concluding on Monday with a total of 28 races.
Greyhound Racing NSW’s Chief Executive Officer Tony Mestrov was one of those who made the trek west to Coonamble for the weekend, and was delighted with how well the carnival was run, and his opportunity to chat with many at the grass roots level of the industry.
Adelaide Cup Final on Friday
While most eyes will be firmly fixed on Wentworth Park this Friday night as the eight finalists for the TAB Million Dollar Chase will be decided, there will also be a few watching Angle Park where the Group 1 Adelaide Cup final will be held.
The Jason Thompson-trained Hooked On Scotch who has drawn box one for the $75,000 to the winner final, and is equal favourite with the Steve White-trained Sennachie who will jump from the three box.
Hooked On Scotch produced a stunning 29.19s win in the State Of Origin match-race series booking his Adelaide Cup spot, while Sennachie was just as impressive clocking the fastest heat time last Thursday, a very slick 29.35s.
The box draw is: 1 Hooked On Scotch, 2 Whiskey Riot, 3 Sennachie, 4 Fernando’s Riot, 5 Weblec King, 6 Cawbourne Terry, 7. Spring Bridge, 8 He’s For Me, 9 Oakvale Beauty, 10 Seal The Deal.
