We Have Our First Million Dollar Chase Semi-Finalists

The TAB Million Dollar Chase has it’s first semi-finalists with six greyhounds qualifying on Thursday afternoon for the September 16 eliminators.

With Casino and Gunnedah drawing only enough for one heat at each venue, the new conditions for 2022 series came into play with the heat becoming a straight final, and the first three in each race advancing to the semi-finals.

The dog with the honour of being the first to qualify for the semis was The Thunderbolt winner, Integrity Mate trained by Robert Andrews and owned by Allan and Keith Hilzinger.

A winner of 18 of his 30 starts, Integrity Mate drove through from box five to lead on the first turn and went on to score a solid win in 27.75s from Paul McIlveen’s Sunshine Delight, with Jedda Cutlack’s Shaye in third place. All three advance to the MDC semi-finals.

“It’s great to be there. This is my first one through (to the semis). You’ve got to have a crack at this race,” Andrews said. 

“It good that we don’t have worry (about qualifying) now. We have now got six weeks to give him some more, harder work and get him ready for the semi-finals.

“The time today was a bit disappointing but in saying that he hadn’t had a run in 10 days, and all you have to do is win, and he will get better.

“I haven’t really worked him hard for 500s because he hasn’t been running them. I went straight from The Thunderbolt (at Grafton) to the 500 at Wenty (for the Vic Peters heats) now I just have work him a bit harder to make sure he us up to that.”

In the Vic Peters heat Integrity Mate led until the top turn before his condition gave out and he finished in seventh. Andrews will be more prepared this time around for the 520m of Wentworth Park.

“He’ll get a strong 500. He just needs harder work. It’s hard to get top grade races around the Northern Rivers week in and week out, so it’s hard for him, but I’ll probably take him back to Albion Park and give him a couple of 500s, or come down there to Wenty 

“I’ve got six weeks now, that’s the best part, plenty of time to improve him.

“Win, lose or draw, you’re having a crack. That’s all you can do. If they’re not good enough on the day, they’re not good enough on the day.

“I’m just rapt with The Thunderbolt win, and I can’t be disappointed now in anything he does. He’s already done wonders this dog with track records and so on, and he’s just going to get better. He’s just 2 ½ (years) so the next six to eight months are going to be fantastic for him.”

It was a thrilling finish later in the day at Gunnedah with the Mel Mabbott-trained Muffler just managing to stave off the powerful finish of Nevyl Hand’s Turbo Cash and take out that venue’s MDC Regional Final.

Muffler began perfectly from box 5 and was able to race to the lead. Swinging for home she was under threat from first Not Today, then having shaken off that challenger, she had to hold off the finish of the favourite Turbo Cash.

At the finish there was a half head in it with Muffler scoring in 30.37s from Turbo Cash with Not Today just ¾ length away in third. Again, all three advance to the Chase semi-finals.