MDC Weekend Wrap

Six more names were added to the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase (MDC) semi-final list over the weekend after regional finals of the world richest race series were held at both Dubbo and Broken Hill.

And it was the Kruger Lass who perhaps caused the biggest boil over of the 2023 series so far, fending off talented types Landyn Bale and Ailee Bale to claim “the biggest race win” of trainer Bronwyn Welsh’s career.

“I’m actually still on a bit of a high, this is Really something special,” an excited Welsh said on Monday morning.

“Last night me and my husband Greg were like groupies looking at the Delbridge and Britton kennels, it was overwhelming with all the big guns there. And at our age and stage, the dream of winning races like this was almost gone, so this is just the best feeling,” she added.

Welsh’s daughter of Aston Kimetto out of Shot Thru, already a 15-time winner before Sunday night, producing the run of her life and taking three lengths off her heat time to claim a memorable win in the State’s far west in 30.52.

“She’s notoriously a slow beginner, like any true stayer, and she gives us heart failure because she’s always tail-end Charlie of the field. But she has great race smarts, she times her moves to perfection and once she’s clear, she Really gores into top gear,” Welsh said.

“She’s Really a true 600m plus bitch so the 500 is a tad short for her but everyone in South Australia knows to look over your shoulder for Kruger Lass.”

The prospect of heading to Wentworth Park a daunting one for the Mildura-based 66-year-old, but not for the reasons you would first think.

“I’m wetting my pants at the thought of going to Sydney. And I’m not talking about the race, I’m talking about the traffic,” Welsh laughed.

The mammoth trip, coupled with the fact the Welsh’s run a small operation on their own, means Kruger Lass will likely tackle the semi-finals without a look at the famed Wentworth Park circuit.

“It’s probably 14 or so hours with stops along the way and as we have no one here to look after the other dogs, we can’t trial or race her [Kruger Lass] until the semis. We’re only novice trainers and we can’t afford to go in there twice so she’ll be going in blind, and fingers crossed she can run well,” Welsh said.

The breakthrough win a full circle moment for the one-time Broken Hill local.

“I actually got introduced to the dogs at Broken Hill as a little kid. I was running around that track about fifty odd years ago hoping I’d one day be a trainer,” Welsh stated.

“I never imagined going back there with a dog of my own to race. Greg and I had a 35-year break from the greyhounds but I always wanted to get back in, that was my dream, so when we retired, we couldn’t wait to get a few dogs.”

“And the club made us feel Really special last night, like we were locals, even though we live in Victoria. It was a lovely night, Really special. Broken Hill is our closest track, about three-and-a-half hours away from home, and the club has worked so hard to attract better races, it’s a god send for us so full credit to them as well.”

The Delbridge pair of Landyn Bale and Ailee Bale finished second and third respectively in the Broken Hill regional final to also secure safe passage to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile at Dawson Park in Dubbo, the Dennis Barnes-trained Nangar Rocket overhauled early leader Spring Elegance to claim a slashing win in a time of 29.61.

‘The 715’ runner-up clocking a near identical time to the heats to hold off the fast-finishing Total Glamour and book his ticket to Wentworth Park on October 6.

“He actually went pretty straight and cut into the fence which I thought was unusual. He normally likes to use a bit of the track but on Saturday night he railed pretty well,” Barnes said.

The master trainer bullish on the son of Feral Franky’s chances in the semi-finals, despite being better suited to middle distance racing.

“I don’t think it’s too short for him. He’s not a dead set stayer, he’s more of a 600m dog. But it’s pretty easy to freshen him up for the 500. I don’t know how he’ll go against the out and out sprinters because he’s not a get out and go dog, but if he can draw a wide box and find the rail up the back, he might be in with a chance,” Barnes said.

The locally trained Total Glamour ran a bottler of a race to finish second, with Leighton WINTER “Really impressed” with his lightly raced bitch.

“If she got a better run down the back straight, she could have almost pinched it I reckon. But Dennis has a good dog on his hands [in Nangar Rocket] so there’s no shame in being beaten by him,” WINTER said.

“I thought Saturday night was as far as I’d ever go in the Million Dollar Chase so to get through to the semi-finals is great. Winning the million is still just a dream and I know fairy tales do come true sometimes, but there’s going to be some god dogs involved.”

WINTER heading towards the October 6 semi-final night buoyed by the fact Total Glamour has already had two looks around Wentworth Park.

“She went 29.89 in a trial and that was her first look. I thought she might go 30.20 but she surprised me. She didn’t go as well in her only race start at the track but I haven’t broken in many dogs that can run as quick as her. She went 18.4 out of the 313m boxes at Dubbo in her first look and she’s kept going 18.20s since so she can run, she just needs an inside draw to be competitive.”

Spring Hill Chaser Spring Elegance held on for third in the Dubbo regional final for Josh Board.

The semi-finals of the 2023 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase will be held at Wentworth Park on Friday, October 6. The final will be run on October 13.