It took more than four years for any greyhound to better the Gardens’ track record of Golden Easter Egg winner Zipping Bailey, and once it was finally broken, it then took just over an hour for it to be lowered again.
The heats of the Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top at Ladbrokes Gardens attracted some of our smartest performers including five grand finalists from last weekend’s TAB Million Dollar Chase, so it wasn’t a major surprise that quick times would be run. Just how quick was the shock.
In the opening heat of the series a little before 9pm, the John Finn-trained Gatlin stunned everyone by clocking 29.09s, which was 0.07s or a length inside the Zipping Bailey’s mark set in July 2018.
Then, just after 10pm, the Peter Lagogiane-trained French Martini - like Gatlin, a luckless MDC finalist last Saturday - came out running from box 6 and flew around the track, becoming the first greyhound to break 29s, stopping the clock at a stunning 28.96s.
That she went so fast was not totally unbelievable. She has been in great form throughout the MDC series, but she did also clock 29.22s - less than a length outside Zipping Bailey’s mark - at her very first start as a 21-month-old, back in March.
Asked if he thought she had that run in her, Lagogiane replied: “I think she did. As a pup she came out and ran 29.2s here,” he said.
“Look, I didn't think she'd do it tonight on a winter’s track. I thought as she progressed further in her career, maybe on a summer track where it's a little bit faster, I thought she would come close the breaking the 29s.
“Gatlin was a great run, to run 29.09s and we had a bit of a joke inside, saying well, if he can run 29.09s you know, if she lands on the bunny what can she run into?”
French Martini came close to crossing to the fence in the MDC final last week, only to be taken wide on the first turn by the eventually winner McInerney, costing her all chance of winning.
“That’s what happens in racing. It’s a little bit bittersweet, seeing her come out and breaking the track record tonight, she was cherry ripe last week. She was ready to go and just the bad luck in racing … but that's the way it goes.”
Gatlin was the fastest qualifier into the final of the Million Dollar Chase and while things didn’t work out his way in the final, he was back to his fast and brilliant best in the opening heat of the series.
Carving across from box 6 early, he then cut the rail and raced past the early leader Vamoose. While Zipping Maserati was chasing hard, it wasn’t surprising that he couldn’t get close, when the clock displayed 29.09s.
Zipping Maserati was anything but disgraced finishing 1¼ lengths away in second and posting a time of 29.17s, with Lochinvar Lona finishing a respectable third, 3¼ lengths away.
“It wasn't surprising on his semi run in the Million Dollar Chase when he went 29.28s (at Wentworth Park),” Minnie Finn said of Gatlin’s performance and time. “And we brought him up here on Monday night and they say it’s the fastest a dog has gone going around the back.
“(In the MDC Final) he didn't come out and the four (Agland Luai) and the six (Hold Me Up), cut him off, and then down the back he ran into the running rail, and that was it.”
The Finns will also have another heat winner in the final next week after the 2021 Black Top winner Zipping Kyrgios was dominant in winning the final heat of the night in 29.17s and now has the chance to defend his title.
Zipping Kyrgios was not brilliantly away and looked in some trouble heading into the back straight in fourth position.
But the powerful finishing burst the dog possesses came to the fore and he rounded up his rivals and swung for home in front, racing away to win by 5¾ lengths from Chasing Fernando with Fascinate Trump 3½ lengths way in third.
“He’s still got it. Twelve months later he’s still going just as good,” said Minnie Finn. “The last few weeks, the last month, he’s been going really well.”
Jason Mackay will have another chance to win the Black Top after his dog Fat Boy’s Dream powered to the lead up the back and was a comfortable 1½ length winner in 29.28s over Esther’s Thrill with 1¾ lengths away to Zipping Lopez in third.
Mackay has won the Black Top on three occasions, in 2010 with Snozz, in 2017 with Mister Twister and again in 2019 with Aston Duke.
“She went good,” said Jason’s daughter April. “She's just on a learning curve. She's had a few starts but she's still learning which is good. It will be a hard race obviously next week, there's a few good ones in it, but she's good herself and she's shown us that by winning and what she has done and in her trials. She has a bit of improvement and should go better than 29.28s.”
While a photo had to decide whether Yuko Girl or Good Odds Cash was the winner of the third heat of the series, the tight result meant that both greyhounds advanced to the final next Friday.
In the end it was the Sam Sultana-trained Yuko Girl who just held on to win by a nose in 29.35s from Good Odds Cash with Ichabod Mudd 2¼ lengths away third.
“I thought she had been beaten,” said Sultana. “She's a leader and she got to the front and she's done a great job to stick it out. This was her first look at the track, but she does go well off first runs usually.”
