Nora’s Boy gave trainer Shaun Guthrie the perfect 32nd birthday present at Taree on Wednesday as the duo claimed the regional final of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.
The son of La Grand Quality made the most of an uninterrupted run to claim a memorable victory in a time of 30.98.
The win his fifth from nine starts at the mid-north coast circuit and first since April 19.
“I just wanted him to come out and get to the rail because he’s a different dog when he finds the inside and he does his best work on the fence,” Guthrie said.
“I didn’t think I could catch Weffalee Shield once it found the front so I was thinking he’d run a nice second but he just got stronger as the race went on and thankfully he held off Mitch’s dog [Sunshine Lily] to win it.”
“It’s a great birthday present, plus I won a bit on the punt too. I’m a brickie’s labourer so this certainly beats going to work.”
The million dollar dream alive and well for the Lake Cathie-based hobby trainer.
“This is pretty exciting. I’ve only ever been to Wentworth Park once for a race and I did no good. I’ve been there to have a few drinks and a punt a fair few times though so I’ll have to get him down to have a look now,” Guthrie added.
Nora's Boy is owned by 'The Trot Boys' syndicate
Away from the winner, Sunshine Lily ran a bottler of a race in second at a price of $71 for Taree local Mitchell Jobson.
The daughter of Zipping Garth flying home to secure her semi-final spot.
“As soon as she jumped and put herself in a position around the corner, I thought “she’s right in this”. Then they swung onto the straight and I knew she had a strong run home, I actually thought she was going to finish over the top of them,” Jobson said.
The final margin of defeat less than a length for the three-time winner and greyhound giveaway.
“Me and my partner Mckenzie got her for free and she showed us she can run from day one. I just spoke to Mckenzie and she is stoked, we’re both over the moon,” Jobson said.
“This is the top of the tree for us,” he added.
“It’s the furthest we’ve gone in anything and if she [Sunshine Lily] was to get through and win the thing, it’d be life changing. We know she’s got to overcome a lot of good dogs before that but qualifying for the semis at my home track, this feels great.”
The Tony Forbes-prepared Weffalee Shield was 1.75 lengths in arrears of the winner.
It was a tough watch for favourite backers as Fat Boy’s Dream and Hurricane’s Fury got themselves into all sorts of bother in the first half of the race, with the pair only managing to find clean air late in the race to run fifth and sixth respectively.
Nora’s Boy, Sunshine Lily and Weffalee Shield are the latest greyhounds to qualify for the October 6 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase semi-finals at Wentworth Park, with the $1,000,000 final a week later on October 13.
