Not only do they have the shortest-priced favourite in Million Dollar Chase history, but husband and wife training team of Andy and JODIE Lord have qualified three of the eight runners for next Saturday’s $1 million Grand Final.
As expected the dominant performance of the eight semi-finals conducted at Wentworth Park on Friday night was from the Lord-trained She’s A Pearl who took her record to 22 wins from 32 starts with a dazzling display.
She’s A Pearl speared to the lead running 5.30 to the first mark, and just seemed to get quicker the further she went. When the clock stopped the time was 29.30s, her best yet at Wentworth Park, and one of the fastest ever run at the track.
A box four draw in the final won’t stop her and it would be a brave person to even think about tipping against her in the May 7 decider.
“She just gets better, she just loves racing. When she works, I can see her smiling,” Lord kennel rep Paul Mills said.
“What more can she do? She is so good, she has got to be right up there with some of the greats.
“It really is a great training effort from JODIE and Andy (to qualify three into the grand final).”
The Lords also will be represented by Coast Model – who led throughout from box 8 to win in 29.69s – and youngster Doonan who qualified in 29.97s at just start 10. The pair have drawn boxes 1 and 8 respectively in the final.
Chasing his second TAB Million Dollar Chase victory is Frank Hurst whose brilliant bitch Good Odds Chas led all the way to win her semi in 29.67s.
“Everyone in Australia knows how fast she can run but you just can’t do it against these dogs from outside boxes,” Hurst said after Good Odds Cash finally drew a good box in her semi, the three. “If you’re out there you stay out there.
“She has been going good for a few weeks, and this was programmed for her. We set her for this race and I think there’s a bit more in her yet.”
“I’m a bit speechless,” he said of the surprise win. “He’s been going well and he likes it here, so I was quietly confident he would run a good race and he did.
“This is just unreal. It’s a million dollar race …. it’s a little bit surreal.”
The Mark Gatt-trained Ritza Donna took out the Group 1 Megastar at Dapto in December last year, and now she has a place in the TAB Million Dollar Chase final, charging home to win her semi-final in 30.29s.
“The time is not great but it’s all about getting to the big race,” kennel rep John Fitzgerald said. “She’s always running on in her races and she is a keen railer and keen Chaser.
“I could see her sneaking through as they went through the catching pen, and she just won’t leave the rails and kept coming.”
And as the case can often be, the semi-finals threw up a couple of potential fairytale scenarios for next week’s final.
Trainer Chris Arletos gained a run with his young dog Zambidis when there were scratchings in his semi-final and he admitted he wasn’t instantly sure he would take it.
“I thought should I go in it, or should I not go in it? Then I said let him go in,” he said of the dog who was having just his sixth race start, and saluted in 30.02 and at the odds of $81..
“It’s wonderful to get into the final. It’s a nice race to be in, but if I win a million dollar race or just a race, I’m happy.”
And the sole Victorian-trained finalist is Gavin Clifton’s Photo Man who ran home strongly to win in 29.96s.
“He went good at Sandown in the Consolation of the Launching Pad and I said to my cousin DAVE who I train with, if he runs 5.05 or something similar (early) - you’ve got to be in front at Wentworth Park - so let’s go,” Gavin said.
“Last week off the pink he had no luck at all, and box six came up (for the semis) and we said to each “oh no” but when you looked at the form of the other dogs, we knew that if he came out alright he’d be a bit of chance.
“I was just hoping to make the consolation. What a buzz to actually win and be a chance of a million bucks.
“And I have to thank my boss Peter. I had to get a couple of days off to come up.
“You put so much time and effort into it and to get a good one like this … I’m super happy.
“I am just so happy. It’s 10 grand to run last in the final.”
