It’s a not a trip Joanne Smith is ever keen to make, but, should the dream become reality and her dog Mill Express qualify for the TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Final, she’ll be joining husband Brian on the five and half hour trek to the city.
Joanne and Brian both train greyhounds at The Rock, around 20 minutes south of WaggaWagga, and on the rare occasion they have runners in Sydney at Wentworth Park, Brian makes the trip while Joanne stays home with the dogs.
On Sunday at Temora - an hour and half down the road – Joanne’s greyhound Mill Express led throughout to win the Regional Final of the Million Dollar Chase and as such qualified for the semi-finals of the world’s richest greyhound race on April 29 at Wentworth Park.
“We don’t go there that often,” Joanne explained. “You have to have the dog to come to town. Brian does most of the driving to town. I hate going to Sydney - just driving wise - and someone has to make the sacrifice and stay home with so many dogs here.
“I have been a few times and have made the voyage on my own, but it’s not something I put my hand up to do. It’s about a five and a half hour drive.”
But, daring to dream and Mill Express made it through to the grand final: “I would make that trip! My brother-in-law would come and look after the dogs,” she said.
The Smiths don’t bring too many dogs to town. Joanne has raced 12 times at Wentworth Park and her one winner came in 2010, a greyhound called Apidra. Brian has had 24 starters at Headquarters, and his only win came back in 2019 with a dog called Ultimate Speed who ran a best of the night 29.64s.
Ultimate Speed was also a Million Dollar Chase semi-finalist.
“Yes we got though the semi-finals with Ultimate Speed back in the second Million Dollar Chase,” Joanne recalled. “He won both his heat and the final at Wagga, and beat a classy dog of (leading Victorian trainer) Jason Thompson’s at the time. We were pretty thrilled.”
Ultimate Speed defeated Thompson’s Black Opium, twice, in that series. Black Opium had earlier that year made the final of the Golden Easter Egg, and she would go on to qualify for that MDC Grand Final in 2019 and also win the Group 1 Sapphire Crown Final.
“To have a shot at the Million Dollar Chase final would be a dream. You look at all these big trainers and you think: I just want one, just one group dog,” she said.
“She went pretty good at Temora off box 7. The whole little seems to want to be away from dogs, out in the fresh air and in their own space. Last week in the heat she drew in (box 2) and she was squeezed out early. She’s only little (25kgs) so she doesn’t take much of a bump.
“We aimed her at this series and we have another one to go in the final at Wagga and he’s (My Boy Rockin’) has got box 1 at Wagga although it’s a very strong final.”
Joining Joanne and Mill Express in the semi-finals out of the Temora Regional Final are Graham Thurkettle’s Amistad who finished second albeit 6¼ lengths behind Mill Express, and third placegetter Cawbourne Hooper for Ben Talbot.
