Jay Is Jay is likely to be the popular pick ahead of pre-post favourite Postman Pat after the Albion Park record holder drew inside the Victorian star in Friday night's final of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park.
In Friday night's semi-finals Jay Is Jay, trained in Queensland by Michael Zammit, railed to the lead on the back straight and won by five lengths in 29.45, fastest time of the night.
Jay Is Jay
The Jason Thompson-trained Postman Pat, handled on Friday by his Sydney caretaker trainer Peter Lagogiane, already the trainer of two Million Dollar Chase winners, was a close second behind fellow Victorian Tom Keeping at the first turn and took the lead going through the catching pen to win by two lengths in 29.59.
Jay Is Jay, who won his semi-final from box two, has drawn the same alley in the $1 million to the winner final, while Postman Pat will start alongside him in box three.
The Andy Lord-trained One Hot Bandit, one of three semi-final reserves to gain a start and win their way through to the world's richest race, overcame a slow start and was third leaving the back straight before scoring in 29.65.
Bella Una, trained at Forbes by Jack Smith, was checked at the start but after being last approaching the first corner she secured a dream rails run into second spot on the back straight and was in front turning for home before winning easily in 29.70.
Has Ability, trained by veteran former greyhound racing journalist Stuart Hazlett, ran down Victoria's Dundee Smokey to win in 29.82 while Cumbria Kid gave hobby trainer Steve Fitch his biggest success when he flashed along the rails to win his semi in 29.85.
Tinker Norm, trained in Victoria by Craig Burns, was last away but finished brilliantly down the outside to win his semi in 29.96 while the slowest semi final winner but one of the most impressive was Melbourne Cup winner Yachi Bale, who launched down the outside from a seemingly impossible position to win by a neck in 29.99.
Tinker Norm gets a kiss from Craig Burns
Yachi Bale's trainer Mark Delbridge began his working life as a supermarket "trolley boy" but now has 100 greyhounds in work and was not perturbed by his dog drawing box eight in the final.
"He gets wide at the first turn but he ran off even more badly tonight from box one because he appeared to clip the heels of another dog,'' Delbridge said after Yachi Bale's win.
There were a couple of "fairy tale" stories from the semis, with Cumbria Kid, owned and trained by his breeder Steve Fitch, being produced by Hill Top Belle, who was a gift to Fitch from GRNSW board member of Kevin Gordon.
After Cumbria Kid drew box one in next Friday's final, Fitch remarked: "That is probably the only box he could have won this race from so now he has his chance.''
Cumbia Kid and Stephen Fitch
Bella Una is the first greyhound ever owned by Forbes school teacher Michael Sheather.
Bella Una is by Feral Franky, who was trained by Jack Smith, from Khatanga Eve, and was bred by well known trainer Dennis Barnes' daughter Sandra Spratt.
When Michael Sheather took his five children to select a pup from Khatanga Eve's litter, they chose a black dog.
But they had second thoughts and 48 hours later phoned Sandra Spratt asking if they could change their minds and take a black bitch puppy instead.
Sandra Spratt agreed to let them switch and Michael Sheather and his family took home the greyhound which now races as Bella Una.
Next Friday night's Wentworth Park meeting also features the $100,000 to the winner final of the 720m Sydney Cup, with the John Finn-trained Zipping Vanessa setting the time standard in last Friday's heats with a flying 41.54 victory by a dozen lengths.
Zipping Vanessa had box one in her heat but handler Todd Barnes, deputising for his mother Minnie Finn, trainer John Finn's wife, believes their greyhound is reasonably well positioned in seven in the final.
The other heat winner was the Joe Scerri-trained Ritza Piper, who led throughout and scored by nearly eight lengths in 41.87.
The big improver could be Zoha Bale, a litter brother and kennelmate to MDC finalist Yachi Bale, who drew box eight in his heat and came from seventh at the first turn to finish third to Ritza Piper.
Zoha Bale is likely to relish having box one in the final, as he has won five of his nine appearances wearing the red rug.
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