The Ladbrokes Southern Stars trophy and the $50,000 prizemoney is heading back across the border to Victoria after former NSW trainer Anthony Azzopardi took out the feature at Goulburn with his promising dog Big Daddy.
And Azzopardi plans on heading back to his home state in the coming months, this time chasing $1 million in the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.
Wearing the 9 rug of the first reserve, Big Daddy originally missed a start in the final after last week’s heats at Goulburn, but when kennelmate Salad Dodger was scratched earlier in the week, Big Daddy gained a run, and took full advantage of the two box, pushing up early to hold the lead and then exploding clear around the home turn, racing away to beat Screaming Jet by three lengths in 24.52s with Royal Nangar another two lengths back in third.
Big Daddy Wins The Ladbrokes Southern Stars
“I eyed it off (the Southern Stars series) with both this dog and Salad Dodger and unfortunately the other fellow couldn’t make it, but this dog got the job done,” Azzopardi said.
“It’s a great feeling coming back home, this always will be home, and to pull off a good race it’s very satisfying.
“This place (Goulburn) has been really good to me and I’ll keep coming back here. It’s only just across the border, in arms reach and this region is great for Victorians.”
In last week’s heat Big Daddy was unable to cross fastest qualifier Zipping Remus but still ran a great race to finish second in his heat. With Zipping Remus drawn out in the eight for the final, it gave Big Daddy the perfect opportunity to lead.
“This dog here, that’s how he used to begin when I first got him from New Zealand and then his first start for me he hit his head on the boxes and he got a bit shy for me, but last week he just put it all together and it was very pleasing when he did that, and today was the acid test whether he had learnt from it and clearly he did thankfully for everyone.”
The win took Big Daddy’s record to 16 starts for nine wins and five placings and more than $75,000 in prizemoney. And Azzopardi believes he can go a lot further.
“Yeah I’m only thinking about the Black Top (at Ladbrokes Gardens in September) at the moment but I am going to chase the Million Dollar Chase. He’s a freakishly fast dog and I think he’s worth going for it.”
Five heats of the prestigious Zoom Top Maiden were also conducted at Goulburn on Friday with leading trainers Andy and Jodie Lord winning two heats as did Forbes mentor Jack Smith.
The Lords have the fastest qualifier with Bandit Bluey clocking 24.87s, but there wasn’t a lot between the heat winners.
The Lords’ other heat winner, Black Misery clocked 24.93s, while the Smith pair were also around that mark with Armatree Storm winning 24.94s and Irinka Daniel in 24.91s.
The other heat was taken out by Vic Sultana’s Mario Wave, a son of his Million Dollar Chase placegetter Sky Wave, who won in 25.12s.
