Rocket Riot, desperately unlucky not to have made last Friday night's Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase semi-finals, gave connections a consolation prize with a blistering all-the-way win in a heat of the GRNSW Young Star at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Trained by Peter Lagogiane for Jimmy Vescos, one of NSW's foremost exponents of pigeon racing, Rocket Riot reeled off dazzling early splits of 5.34 and 13.69 to win his Young Star heat in a personal best 29.61.
In the Million Dollar Chase qualifiers at Wentworth Park on September 30, Rocket Riot had a bumping duel with co-pacemaker Starline Express for the first 300m, allowing Zipping Orlando to sweep around them to win comfortably.
Rocket Riot is from the first litter whelped by Princess Riot, who was a 29.80 and 29.87 Wentworth Park winner for Vescos and Lagogiane.
"I bought Princess Riot at the Richmond puppy auction for $7500 because she was a sister to the Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot,'' Vescos said.
"I reckoned she was cheap and had been prepared to go as high as $15,000 to get her.
"Rocket Riot is from her June, 2021 litter to Barcia Bale, while she has a second litter, three months old, sired by El Grand Senor.''
Owner-trainer-breeder Luke Azzopardi was unable to sell Emgrand Centre (pictured) when he was a pup and last night he scored his third win in four Wentworth Park appearances, storming home to land a Young Star heat in 29.85.
Azzopardi said: "Emgrand Centre is from the first litter whelped by Classy Emgrand, who was unsound and lightly raced but was a litter sister to my good old dog Royal Emgrand, who won 18 races and $115,000.
"A fellow had asked me to keep four pups from Classy Emgrand's litter to Aussie Infrared but after several months had not come up with any money and then he seemed to lose interest.
"So I was left with the pups unsold but it has turned out great for me because the whole litter can run.
"But Emgrand Centre is the best of them, he is a very clever dog in a field, he will go under his rivals, between them or around them, wherever he can find a run.''
The other heats of the Young Star were taken out by Fernando Quality in 29.74, Overflow Beau in 29.75, Time To Go in 29.80, Blue Falcon in 29.82, Charlm Outlaw in 29.86 and Charlm Dancer in 30.06.
The box draw for Friday night's $25,000 to the winner final is:
Luke Azzopardi was hoping for one, two or three with Emgrand Centre while Michelle Sultana, trainer of Fernando Quality, was elated at her greyhound's box two slot.
"That is just perfect, couldn't be better,'' Sultana said with the inside alley looking likely to give Fernando Quality a great chance of notching his ninth win in just 10 starts.
