He may have just missed out on racing’s two-year-old triple crown when his Golden Slipper winner Fireburn was narrowly beaten in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick, but Saturday improved for leading jockey Brenton Avdulla when he celebrated his second runner advancing to the semi-finals of the TAB Million Dollar Chase.
Avdulla is a self-confessed lover of greyhound racing, and earlier this month his dog Fernando Hunter qualified for the Chase semis when runner-up in the Regional Final at Gunnedah. At LADBROKES GARDENS on Saturday, Connections, a greyhound he has a share in, was brilliant in winning that venue’s Regional Final, in a time less than a length outside the track record.
The Michelle Sultana-trained greyhound speared from the boxes and led throughout and when the time was posted after the race, it was no wonder his rivals couldn’t get near Connections.
The 27kgs dog clocked 29.21s, just 0.05s outside the track record of Golden Easter Egg winner Zipping Bailey, a mark set way back in July 2018.
“It was a bit cold up here tonight, and I’m tipping if it was a bit of a warmer night, he would have given it a good nudge,” Michelle said.
“I’m just really pleased for the owners and it’s a massive thrill for them, and Brenton also has a share in this dog. It’s been been a long road with him but they have been patient and it’s pretty clear the talent he has.”
Connections is three months past his third birthday, but the Gardens’ win was only his 15th start in a career which began way back in November 2020.
“We always knew he had ability but he’s just had problems,” Michelle said. “Just little things, things that would just keep him on the sidelines - nothing major - just little things here and there, and it always seemed to be one thing after another.”
Connections was trained by Michelle’s partner Darryl Thomas until this campaign where she took over as the trainer, and in that time he has won three of his four starts, the only failure being in a heat of the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
“We had a crack at the Easter Egg and if we didn’t get through (to the semi-finals), the plan was to come and have a crack at something else,” she said of both Fernando Hunter and Connections.
“When you’re running against those sort of dogs, you need that real clear run and to get down onto the rail. He (Connections) nearly crossed them from box 8 in the Easter Egg heat, but that was it. He got polaxed and game over.”
While Michelle has had semi-finalists in the Million Dollar Chase previously, Darryl Thomas had a finalist in 2020, and his runner Xerri - who coincidentally also came through the Gunnedah Regional Final - finished second behind Handsome Prince.
“They are two totally different dogs. Connections has got that early dash while Xerri dwelt at the start a bit and had to work from behind,” Michelle said.
“So while it would be hard to compare them, Darryl does believe that Connections is one of the fastest dogs he has trained.”
There was more reason to celebrate for Michelle when her other finalist, Space Girl, Chased the kennelmate all the way, finishing second 3¾ lengths back and also qualifying for the semi-finals, as did third placegetter Black Flipper.
“It was a good little double,” she said. “She’s improving all the time. She a pocket rocket too and she just keeps getting better.”
