He’s won the world’s richest greyhound race twice, and while this time there was no dancing down the home straight, no falling to his knees in tears, the reaction and emotion shown by Peter Lagogiane was a clear indication of what this meant to him.
While the $40,000 cheque for winning the Sires On Ice Black Top at Newcastle’s Ladbrokes Gardens is dwarfed by the $1 million he won with Mystic Riot in 2018 then Handsome Prince in 2020 in two Million Dollar Chase finals, this win was special for Lagogiane.
Just two weeks after she had tried to win a third MDC for the trainer, the brilliant French Martini gave Lagogiane victory in the Group 2 race he has been chasing for a while.
Over the previous four years he has had three runners in the final. In 2018 Set To Storm finished fifth, in 2019 Mystic Riot was fourth, and then last year Pay Call also finished fourth.
“She’s a super bitch … a super bitch,” an emotional Lagogiane said. “In a classy field like that, you know with some of the best trainers in New South Wales here tonight, and from box seven, you know she had to do it tough, she sat out wide, and look at the dogs that were chasing her, and she did it, and an unbelievable run on tonight’s track, 29.40s.
“I’m over the moon. Look this is what dreams at made of. It just means the world to us. Greyhound racing means the world to us. You know you wouldn't be dead for quids.
“This is what we do it for. These emotions, these times, these races, this what we do it for.
“I don't ride dogs home very often, but I rode her home as soon as I saw her cross to the rail, and I saw who was chasing. I just pulled out the Shane Dye whip and it finally worked.”
There was much pre-race talk about the run to the first turn and where all the fancied runs would land.
French Martini was away well but not likely to cross, and sat fourth, out wide, at the post the first time.
Zipping Kyrgios was away well and was up with the leaders but was checked badly and was last going out of the straight.
Gatlin was slow to move but used the rails draw to punch through and was able to avoid major trouble rounding the first turn and got to third out of the straight.
Zipping Maserati showed great speed and was able to cross to the lead, with French Martini outside him, but heading into the back Zipping Maserati was checked and dropped back, leaving French Martini alone in front with Gatlin chasing.
But fresh from her stunning 28.96s track record in the heats last week, French Martini was never going to be caught, going on to win by 3¼ lengths, from the fast finishing Zipping Kyrgios which was an enormous run after the early trouble, with Gatlin a further ½ length away third.
For owner Adam Brandt the win was special being in front of “40 or 50” family and friends on his home track.
“I'm speechless. On our home track. I'm speechless. I didn't think she could do it,” he said. .
“It was the first race I've never been nervous before, I don't know why, and I've sat on the fence and I saw her caught three wide and I just closed my eyes on the first turn and then when she came around them and I saw her hit the lead, I knew they wouldn’t get her, she’s good at the end (of her races), and I was just screaming.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect her to do what she's done in her career. I just can't believe it and to do this on my home track, I can’t put it into words. It's just unbelievable.”
