If Jason MACKAY’s consistent bitch Fantastic Raven was to line-up in the TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Final on September 24, surely nobody could begrudge her success.
MACKAY, one of NSW’s leading trainers for many years, took over the training of Fantastic Raven early this year from Victorian Matt Clark. She won her first start for him on January 25 at Gosford, and since then has won another nine races and been placed eight times in the next 22 starts for MACKAY.
And she has raced against some of the best.
Back in March she won a heat of the world’s richest middle-distance event, the inaugural STOCKMAN & Paddock Country Classic at Dubbo over the 605m, then was gallant when second to Zipping Kyrgios in the $125,000 final.
A week later she was back to sprinting and won the heat, then a week later the semi-final of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg, before finishing third in the Group 1 final behind the State’s two best at the time, She’s A Pearl and Good Odds Cash.
She followed that in May with a heat win and then was not disgraced when fifth to kennelmate Zipping Maserati in Brother Fox again at Dubbo, then in June she won a heat and was a gallant second to Good Odds Cash in the Group 2 Richmond Oaks.
And now onto the Million Dollar Chase, and she is just a win away from having a shot at that $1 million first prize.
Fantastic Raven’s latest win came on Saturday night at LADBROKES GARDENS when she jumped fairly but motored across from box six to lead around the first turn and was never headed, winning the Regional Final of the Million Dollar Chase in 29.52s and qualifying for the event’s semi-finals at Wentworth Park on September 16.
“I wouldn’t say she nailed the start but she came out pretty well last night,” said Jason’s daughter April. “She had a niggling injury during the week. She wasn’t 100 percent but she was right to get the start right and that’s what she’s got to do.
“It was just a strain to a drive muscle on her back leg, but if you’re not 100 percent you can’t stretch out fully, but she was stretching pretty out well last night.
“She’s got to lead and when she leads she’s a better bitch than when she is coming from behind.
“She loves the two corner tracks and it was always the plan to take her there to try and qualify and if she didn’t we would have gone and had a crack at the last ones (qualifiers) at Wenty.
“She’s an insane bitch. So consistent. She loves us which is probably a big plus as well. You go into the kennel and she jumps off the bed all excited to see you. She is great, and she has been terrific since we have got her.”
Joining Fantastic Raven in the Million Dollar Chase semi as a result of the LADBROKES GARDENS Regional Final will be Ron Asquith’s Scramjet who valiantly tried to match motors with Fantastic Raven, finishing 1¾ lengths second, while reserve runner Affair Bit trained by Grant Dunphy, also heads to Wentworth Park for the semis finishing third a further 2½ lengths back.
