Four days ago he wasn’t even qualified for the series, now Victorian sprinter Curt Lee is the new favourite for the TAB Million Dollar Chase.
The Glenn Rounds-trained dog leapt into calculations with a best of the night 29.83s performance in the City Qualifier on Saturday at Wentworth Park, and the support has continued to come flow despite him drawing alongside cult hero Feral Franky in Friday night’s semi-finals.
Curt Lee was posted at $21 with tab.com.au before his heat effort, then trimmed in to $8 following a nice box three draw in the semi. But the support has now seen the dog into $7 favourite alongside the well performed Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Harada.
Good Odds Harada was initially a $31 chance but after coming second at the Nationals in Perth, and then his emphatic display in his heat and final at Bathurst, he has continued to gather support and was outright favourite at $6 following the semi-final box draw, before easing slightly to be joined by Curt Lee at the head of the market.
Feral Franky is on the next line of betting at $10, and has been the best supported runner with tab.com.au. The Feral’s cult status went to new levels, when TAB offered $34 about him to Big Sports Breakfast listeners for a limited period. He has firmed from $21 before the series and was the $9 series’ favourite before the semi-final draw.
Golden Easter Egg winning trainer Jason Mackay has three runners in the semis, with Get It Gizmo his main chance after qualifying through The Gardens series. Initially a $31 chance, Get It Gizmo came right in to be $8 following a favourable semi-final box draw, but has also now eased slightly to $10.
Another on the same line at $10 is Victorian youngster Shima Shine from the Andrea Dailly kennel. Shima Shine was well supported at the $51 to win the MDC, and tumbled right in to $12 after his win in the Bulli Regional Final. He got as short as $8, but has since eased to $10.
The dog he beat at Bulli, Pindari Express is the other dog at $10. A $21 chance originally, the Tracey Scruse-trained dog has continued to firm, and has trimmed up from $12 offered after the semi box draw. He has drawn a tough semi and an unsuitable box two, but his followers expect him to advance out of the semi and into the $1 million to the winner grand final.
While defending champion Mystic Riot has eased from $21 to $31 to now be $81, her kennelmate Federal Lilly has gone the other way. She opened as a $71 chance in April and was specked at that price, and since qualifying at The Gardens, she has gradually firmed, to $31, then $21, and then into $12 following the semi-final draw where she came up with the red. She has eased now to $18.
Another interesting firmer is Victorian Slingshot Hammer. He opened as a $101 and was the medium of some support prior to the City Qualifiers on Saturday. After winning and drawing the red in the semi-final (albeit meeting Curt Lee and Feral Franky), the Rob Camilleri-trained dog is now into $18.
Another notable firmer is Jason Mackay’s youngster Flying Bazza who won the Maitland Regional Final. He has firmed from $$41, to $21, and is now into $18 after a comfortable semi-final draw.
Deb Coleman’s Immediate qualified with a third placing at Goulburn, but a good trial last Saturday at Wentworth Park and a nice draw in the semis, has seen him firm from $71 pre-draw to $26 post draw.
Good money has come for Syd Swain’s Buck’s Future. Originally a $31 chance, the 2018 semi-finalist eased to $51 after qualifying at Dubbo, but then came in to $26 after drawing the one box for the semis. He has continued to firm and is now $18.
National Sprint Champion Premium Share will again meet Pindari Express in his semi. He has firmed from $21 to $16 to $12, but eased on Tuesday out to $18.
And Mark Gatt’s Tennessee Tiger who scraped through as the last dog to qualify out of the regionals finishing fourth at Goulburn, has drawn well in his heat and came in from $71 to $26 following the semi-finals being drawn.
