If She’s A Pearl is to defend her title and win an unprecedented back-to-back TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Finals, she will have to do it the hard way after she unexpectedly failed to qualify for the semi-finals at Goulburn on Friday.
If she is to advance into the semi-finals, She’s A Pearl will now have to do so via the City Qualifiers at Wentworth Park on September 10, with all regional heats having already been completed.
She will now have to race three weeks in a row at Wentworth Park, but it won’t set any precedent as both Mystic Riot (2018) and Handsome Prince (2020) raced in, and won their city qualifiers, then won their semi-finals then the grand final.
She’s A Pearl, who only last Friday was crowned Australian Greyhound Of The Year, resumed on that same day in the regional heats at Goulburn, and while not at her brilliant best, she was able to return a winner and improvement looked likely for the regional final.
That start had been her first since the MDC win on May 7, the result of a seasonal spell then a minor hip injury.
But, chasing her 14th win in succession, She’s A Pearl was sent out a $1.33 favourite from the one box, but after being a clear last to jump, she continued to find trouble gaining a run, and although she home went clear, it was all too late and she could manage only fourth behind the winner, Aston Barak.
While the story was She’s A Pearl, the win went to trainer Jason Fletcher and his smart sprinter Aston Barak who was faultless at the start, jumping well from box three and finding the front soon after, and once there he was never threatened, going on to win by a length in 24.53s.
Nordic Thunder ran on well to finish second with Lime Rock Park third and that pair, like the winner, now have berths in the semi-finals on September 16.
The win was Aston Barak’s 22nd from 48 starts and improved his Goulburn record to five wins from seven starts, which includes a brilliant victory in the inaugural $50,000 GRNSW Southern Stars Final in July. He now heads to Wentworth Park for a semi-final date where a win on September 16 would give him a one in get shot at $1 million.
It will be the second time he has made the Million Dollar Chase semis having been there in April this year, when he finished fifth in the semi-final, ironically behind She’s A Pearl.
“He did everything right and I’m really happy with that run,” Fletcher said. “He’s won 10 at Wentworth Park, he’s run 29.60s there and has broken 30s there a heap of times. Wherever he draws well, and gets a clear run, he just goes very fast.
“He’ll have a race somewhere (before the semis), just to keep him nice and fit, then hopefully he draws well in the semis.”
Before this year Susan Sundstrom had never had a runner in a heat of the Million Dollar Chase, now she has a semi-finalist with Nordic Thunder.
“I think I’m a but stunned, I wasn’t expecting it and I’m just over the moon,” she said. “It’s just amazing to get through. I never thought I’d have a dog good enough to get that far.”
