Marie Burton’s greyhound Opinions must be getting tired of running into Ashley Dwyer’s Special Blend.
Three times in the past month the pair have lined up against one another, the latest on Monday night in the Regional Final of the TAB Million Dollar Chase at Nowra.
On each of the three occasions - twice at Nowra and once at Wentworth Park - Special Blend has won and Opinions has finished second.
On Monday night however, while the win would have been a bonus, Opinions’ second placing means he will join Special Blend in the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals at Wentworth Park on April 29, as will third placegetter War Weapon.
While the case in the two previous wins has been that Special Blend has Chased down Opinions, on Monday it was a different story.
Opinions was uncharacteristically slow out of the boxes while Special Blend too was away just fairly and in traffic as they headed to the first turn.
But showing great track sense to carve to the rail when the opportunity arose, Special Blend was able to rail up and entering the back took the lead, a position he would not surrender once in front, and, carving out the very slick time of 29.53s, there was no way Opinions was going to turn the tables this time around.
While the margin was a head in the heat last week, this time at the post Special Blend had 4¼ lengths to spare of his adversary in a very impressive performance.
The win of Special Blend completed a winning 24 hours for Dwyer, who had a winning double from his only two starters - Charlie Jar and Joseph’s Coat - at Temora on Sunday night.
“I’m seeing a bit of the countryside and the others went good last night as well,” Dwyer said. “I just have to keep it up now.
“He’s (Special Blend) such a good dog. We have flown under the radar with this dog and some ways it’s annoying that a dog which is as good as him doesn’t get the wraps, but some people might stand up and take some notice going on that run, coming from behind early, it wasn’t as if he pinged to the front, and to run that time was impressive.
“He had a bad box for the Megastar (Final) at Dapto and he wasn’t right at his top in the Vic Peters when he ran third (Bandit Ned), and he won his heat and semi of the Flight to the Phoenix and if he draws inside (he had box 6), well he had beaten (race winner) Billy Creek every time he met him until that stage.
“I just have to keep him sound now and find some races between now and the semi-finals.”
