Just 13 months ago, Sandra Camden-Bermingham and her husband Colin were the toast of the greyhound world when their bitch Mystic Riot took out the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park. On Friday night at Sandown, the couple had again climbed another mountain in the sport.
Sandra and Colin, from Western Sydney, watched on as Mystic Riot’s half-sister Whiskey Riot, beat a star-studded line-up to take out the $435,000 to the winner TAB Melbourne Cup, completing a remarkable double for the owners, who bred both greyhounds.
While Mystic Riot was by Barcia Bale out of Ready To Riot, Whiskey Riot was sired by the legendary Fernando Bale.
Whiskey Riot has been ultra-consistent in feature races of late, being narrowly beaten in both the Group 3 Shootout and the Group 1 Adelaide Cup by Hooked On Scotch, and finishing third in the Group 1 Top Gun behind Get It Gizmo. But last night was the night for Anthony Azzopardi’s speedster.
Jumping perfectly from the three box, Whiskey Riot found the fence but was pressured by local Western Envoy, all the way up the back straight, and looked to be in a bit of trouble on the top turn.
But all the time most were watching the favourite, Hooked On Scotch, stalking the leaders, and ready to pounce as he has done so often in the past, notably in that Adelaide Cup final.
Western Envoy grabbed the lead swinging for home, but Whiskey Riot lifted again and on the line got the bob in and scored by half a head from Western Envoy, with Hooked On Scotch arriving late to grab a close-up third, with the winner posting 29.43s.
In the night’s other feature event the Group 1 Bold Trease for the stayers, the brilliant but often costly to punters, Tornado Tears got the rails run on the home turn to race away and win in 41.85s.
Rattling home for second was Sydney Cup winner Boom Down with Azzopardi’s Just Terms also getting home strongly to grab third.
Also at Sandown on Friday, the much hyped match-race between Feral Franky and Sennachie saw the local jump well and establish a big lead, one which was too large for The Feral to overhaul - Sennachie winning the $20,000 prize.
