It wasn’t quite like She’s A Pearl where she raced to the lead and couldn’t be caught, instead it was an impressive finishing burst from Kim McIntyre which secured her the title of TAB Million Dollar Chase Tipping Champion.
Heading into the final night of tipping, Kim was actually in third place, 12 points behind the leader Tom Harders and eight adrift of second-placed Gary McMullin.
While Tom faltered, Gary and Kim tipped strongly and a pair of winners in the last two events - Zipping Maserati to win the TAB Million Dollar Chase Consolation, then She’s A Pearl to win the feature event the TAB Million Dollar Chase - saw Kim claw her way to the lead.
When the numbers were crunched, both Kim and Gary had finished on 187 points, Kim getting the first prize of $10,000 on a countback of winners tipped throughout the competition. She tipped 15 winners to Gary’s 13. Tom finished third with 179 points.
“It was so nice to get the call telling me I had won,” said Kim who lives in Ballina. “$10,000 to me is … I’ve never ever won so much money. This is the most money I’ve ever had in my whole life.
“I followed all the results and I always made sure I got my tips in on time, but I didn’t actually watch any of the races. I’m like that. I never watch. I put my bets on and then see if I win later. I’ve always been that way. It’s a superstition.
“Even for the final. I put all my tips on the day before when they opened the site. I looked through the form, every dog, and looked at their times and then their boxes and which dog had the most placings from that box, but I love that She’s A Pearl, so she was always going to be my tip in the last race.
“I want to congratulate the owners and that dog for winning, she is amazing. And I also want to congratulate the people who ran second and third in the tipping competition and thank Greyhound Racing NSW for putting on such a great competition. It was so enjoyable.”
Kim said while she has never owned or raced a greyhound, her love for them came very early.
“I grew up in Brisbane at Mt Gravatt and the man who lived across the road was a greyhound trainer,” she said. “We would go over there and go along when he’d walk them in the afternoon and watch his wife measure the feed and all that stuff. That’s how I think I fell in love with them because they were such a beautiful animal.
“As for the tipping competition, I saw in TAB app the Million Dollar Chase and had a look around and found out about the tipping competition. I thought why not? You go in competitions here and there, but you never think you’re going to win.”
Many in the Northern Rivers of NSW have in some way been impacted by the recent floods and Kim is no different.
“I know a lot of people in Lismore and Woodburn who have been badly impacted. It’s been a struggle for so many but the community is pulling together and everyone is helping each other,” she said.
“My parents are living with me at the moment because at West Ballina where they live, they had water go through their home and they have been here for three months waiting for it to be fixed. Thankfully – unlike so many others - they still have their home, but have to wait to have things done before they can move back in.”
For finishing second Gary collected $5,000 while Tom collects $3,000 for his third place.
“I have had the greatest time doing this MDC tipping,” said Gary. “GRNSW has achieved everything they wanted with this promotion. (I’ve) never really been a dog follower but I am now and many family members too. Congratulations to all. Great stuff.”
It proved to be a big weekend for the Kims. Not only did Kim McIntyre win the tipping competition, but on the night at Wentworth Park, Kimberley Kowalski for Cessnock was the winner of the Million Dollar Giveaway competition.
The 24-year-old was drawn out of all ticketed patrons on course and then selected an envelope to see if she won $1 million.
Kimberley selected number 4 which unfortunately didn’t have the $1 million prize in it. The lucky envelope was number 42. Still - like tipping Kim - Kimberley got to walk away with $10,000.
For those looking for a tip on the greyhounds, it might be worth checking out the tips of our experts on thedogs.com.au.
Across the tipping competition had you followed thedogs.com.au, you would have finished with 174 points, the equal of fourth in the competition.
