TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Final
After 14 regional series, six city qualifying events, eight semi-finals, finally we are here. The eight greyhounds have won their way into the Grand Final of the TAB Million Dollar Chase and one will win their connections $1 million on Friday night.
The field is made up of five NSW-trained dogs – Get It Gizmo, Pindari Express, Jimmy Casey, Good Odds Harada, and Flying Bazza, while three hail from Victoria – Black Opium, Shima Shine, and Curt Lee.
Fastest semi-final winner was the Jason Mackay-trained Get It Gizmo who clocked 29.45s, just a fraction ahead of the Jason Thompson-trained Black Opium who clocked 29.46s.
Tracey Scruse has just one dog in her kennel and that dog will race for $1 million next Friday night, after he stormed into the final with a 29.85s win.
Cult hero Feral Franky is the only dog who many expected to be in the final, who isn’t there. He tumbled on the first turn in his heat, but thankfully pulled up ok.
The Feral’s brother Good Odds Harada is in the final however, winning his heat in 29.66s.
Victorian Curt Lee was the victor in Feral Franky’s heat, leading from the first turn and holding off all challengers to win in 30.14s.
Fellow Victorian Shima Shine took his record to nine wins from 11 starts with a brilliant 29.60s victory.
And the Peter Carr-trained Jimmy Casey overcame trouble at the first turn to storm home to win in 30.02s.
The finalists qualified from a variety of venues: Get It Gizmo (The Gardens), Good Odds Harada (Bathurst) Flying Bazza (Maitland) Pindari Express (Bulli) Black Opium (Wagga Wagga) Shima Shine (Bulli) Jimmy Casey (Dubbo) Curt Lee (Wentworth Park) Perfect Marshall (Wagga Wagga) Aston Duke (Wentworth Park).
The box draw for the final is: 1 Get It Gizmo 2 Good Odds Harada 3 Flying Bazza 4 Pindari Express 5 Black Opium 6 Shima Shine 7 Jimmy Casey 8 Curt Lee 9 Perfect Marshall 10 Aston Duke.
Watch Get It Gizmo the fastest MDC semi-final winner here
Sydney Cup Final
Blue Moon Rising will be a short-priced favourite for the $100,000 to the winner 720m Sydney Cup after qualifying in easily the fastest time and drawing ideally in box one in Friday night's 720m Group final at Wentworth Park.
Blue Moon Rising won his heat by seven lengths in 41.65s, with last Friday's other heats taken out by Victoria's Boom Down in 42.07s and outsider Dublin Lad in 42.16s.
With his siblings Poco Dorado and Veloce Nero sidelined, it was left to Blue Moon Rising to carry the banner of the phenomenal Fernando Bale-Chica Destacada litter, and the John Finn kennel in Friday's heats and he stepped up in the finest possible way, posting easily his best Wentworth Park time.
After trailing pacemaker Rockstar Prince in the early stages, Blue Moon Rising took the lead on the back straight and careered away to defeat the Luke Azzopardi-trained Mrs Emgrand and up-and-coming youngster Just Terms in figures which compared well with Tornado Tears' 41.38s track record.
Biggest upset in the Sydney Cup heats was the impressive win by $81 outsider Dublin Lad, trained by veteran Central Coast trainer Barry Howell.
Having only his fifth start, Dublin Lad came from second in the middle stages to lead turning for home before holding off She Will Bloom by a length.
Boom Down, from the all-conquering Andrea Dailly team, relished box one and the small field of five, coming from last to win his heat by five lengths from Blazing Cartier.
Box draw for the Sydney Cup is: 1 Blue Moon Rising 2 She Will Bloom 3 Boom Down 4 Dublin Lad 5 Just Terms 6 Mrs Emgrand 7 Blazing Cartier 8 Radar Gunn with reserves Sweet Fire All and Ebby Ripper.
Watch Blue Moon Rising win his heat of the Sydney Cup here
Masters Meteor Final
Cosmic Bonus earned the right to defend his Masters Meteor title with a dashing win at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.
Cosmic Bonus just managed to hold off Bad Ronnie to win his heat in 29.97s, and now, two months from his fifth birthday, will look to win another $100,000 for his connections..
The win was the 56th of Cosmic Bonus’s 117 start career and took his earning to just a shade below $370,000.
Bad Ronnie also advanced to the Masters Meteor final to be run this Friday.
In last year’s final Cosmic Bonus defeated Springcreek Bill and Blabba Mouth, and that pair will also be there again in 2019, qualifying out of the same heat.
The Michelle Sultana-trained Drink Schooners was competing in the Million Dollar Chase 12 months ago, and while he didn’t reach the Grand Final of that event last year, he will be racing on Grand Final night in 2019, having won his heat of the Masters Meteor. Runner-up was Friend Of Man who will join his adversary in the Masters Meteor Final.
Like Drinking Schooners, a year ago Bogan Doonie was racing the best in the Million Dollar Chase, and actually finished second to Azkaban in the semi-finals of the event, then a week later was second to True Talent in the MDC Consolation.
On Wednesday she qualified for the Masters Meteor Final with a 30.21s win, despite missing the jump badly. Second went to the early leader Kroes who held on for a place in the rich Meteor final.
The box draw was conducted later in the evening and sees: 1 Springcreek Bill 2 Drink Schooners 3 Blabba Mouth 4 Bad Ronnie 5 Friend Of Man 6 Cosmic Bonus 7 Kroes 8 Bogan Doonie 9 Rita’s Boy 10 Little Digger.
Watch Cosmic Bonus win his heat of the Masters Meteor here
Young Star Classic Final
The flying Jet Jackson improved his record to 13 starts for 11 wins and two placings with a brilliant front-running win in his heat of the Young Star Classic at Wentworth Park last Wednesday, and will head into the $25,000 to the winner final as the favourite.
Drawn the eight, Jet Jackson was able to work across the field soon after jumping and once he hit the lead on the first turn, he was off eventually clocking 30.12s.
Electric Silk ran on for second 3¾ lengths away, snatching the final place in the final.
Blue Summer Sky will also have his supporters after relishing a return to his own age group in the heats.
Blue Summer Sky raced in the Free-For-All, against MDC semi-finalists and ran grand final favourite Good Odds Harada to a length at his previous start.
Blue Summer Sky posted 29.92s beating the Rob Tyler-trained Zipping Truvy who roared home to get second and a spot in the final also to be run on TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Final night.
Jason Mackay has two runners in Friday’s TAB Million Dollar Chase, and he qualified Aston Sapporo for the Young Star.
Having just his fifth start and the first on the city track, Aston Sapporo notched his fourth win, jumping well and carving across from the seven box to lead at the post, and from there the race was effectively over, the young dog racing away to score in 29.89s.
Barbaresco and Knight’s Page staged a two-dog war for the entire 520m trip in the second heat of the Classic, with ultimately the Darryl Thomas-trained Barbaresco stretching out to win by a neck over Knight’s Page in 30.04s.
The box draw for the event was conducted last night and is: 1 Jet Jackson 2 Zipping Boston 3 Electric Silk 4 Aston Sapporo 5 Blue Summer Sky 6 Zipping Truvy 7 Knight’s Page 8 Barbaresco 9 Bill Bath 10 Kamikaze Cowlick.
Watch Jet Jackson win his heat of the Young Star Classic here
Million Dollar Chase winner retired
Mystic Riot, the winner of the inaugural Million Dollar Chase, has been retired. Owner Sandra Camden-Bermingham confirmed on Saturday that the brilliant sprinter has run her last race, and will now “relax into retirement.”
Mystic Riot contested the semi-finals of the TAB Million Dollar Chase on Friday night at Wentworth Park but was badly checked soon after the jump, and her title defence disappeared with the contact.
Mystic Riot had been plagued with a wrist injury throughout the series, and while she bravely battled and qualified for the semi-finals, she was not at the level she was a year ago when she blew her rivals away in the Grand Final, and became the one of just four million dollar winners in the sport.
“Yes we’re going to let her relax into retirement,” Sandra said. “We’re thrilled, and just so, so proud of her. She has got a well-earned rest, and we’ll just let her slide into the couch.
“We were super proud of her when she made the (2019 Million Dollar Chase semi) finals and we’re just so grateful to Peter (Lagogiane) and (his wife) JODIE for everything they have done with her. They have worked so hard with her and have been fantastic.”
Mystic Riot retires having raced 36 times for 12 wins, and six placings, and prizemoney of $1,056,865.
While she will eventually look at breeding with Mystic Riot, that, and potential suitors, are not yet being considered.
“All in the fullness of time. We will certainly go in that direction, but we have no set plans as yet,” Sandra said. “We’re just going to give her a break now, and pause, and also enjoy the rest of the (Million Dollar Chase) carnival, and kudos to all the people who have got through (to the Grand Final). I’m sure they will enjoy the wonderful experience just as we all did last year
Watch Mystic Riot win the 2018 Million Dollar Chase Final here
Finish On Lure Racing
Greyhound Racing NSW advised during the week that due to the recent success of the Finish on Lure race meeting conducted at Richmond on Sunday 25th August , 2019 that additional race meetings will be conducted at the Richmond Race Club for ‘finish on racing’.
These meetings will be held on the following dates:
November
Sunday 3rd November
Sunday 10th November
Sunday 17th November
December
Sunday 8th December
Sunday 15th December
Sunday 22nd December
Please note that all Performance Trials and Clearance Trials will be conducted under the finish on lure type racing conditions. All race meetings are TAB prizemoney.
Full racing information is available on thedogs website. If you require any further information please contact the racing department on 1300 664 565 or grading_D@grnsw.com.au
Adelaide Cup Final
The Group 1 Adelaide Cup was decided on Friday night, and while his wife was at Wentworth Park qualifying Black Opium for the TAB Million Dollar Chase, Jason Thompson was in Adelaide winning their big feature race with Hooked On Scotch.
Winner of the recent Speed Star series, Hooked On Scotch claimed the Group success with a stunning victory, running down the leader Whiskey Riot and multiple Group 1 winner Sennachie.
