A Hot 2024 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Field Finalised
By Jeff Collerson
Jason Thompson has won a string of group one races but the Victorian trainer was in awe of Explicit after his greyhound's six-length win in his Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase semi-final on Saturday night.
Explicit bungled the start from box three but showed amazing acceleration to drive through and take the lead on the back straight before stopping the clock at 29.19, fastest of the eight 520m semi-finals.
"He is usually a smart beginner so to miss the jump and still go that quick shows how good this dog is,'' Thompson said after Explicit's remarkable performance.
"The speed he has got when he hits the ground is amazing because one night at Albion Park he came out last and still led around the first turn.
"If he had jumped tonight like I know he can, he might have given Shakey Jakey's 29.07 track record a shake.''
Jason Thompson with Explicit
On Friday night Thompson won the $100,000 to the winner Adelaide Cup with EXCAVATION, who, like Explicit, is owned in Victoria by Amanda Tullio.
EXCAVATION's win was outstanding because he missed the jump and was checked on the first bend but Thompson said at Wentworth Park: "Explicit is a much faster dog.''
The second fastest of the MDC semis was posted by Inconspicuous, trained in Victoria by former Sydneysider Anthony Azzopardi.
He was the original trainer of Mystic Riot, winner of the inaugural 2018 Million Dollar Chase, but had transferred that dog to the Sydney kennels of his pal Peter Lagogiane for the MDC campaign.
On Saturday Inconspicuous began fast from box five and led throughout in 29.27, while the Jason Magri-trained Zipping Megatron overcame his tricky box six draw to win his semi in 29.35.
Trainer Frank Hurst, who landed the 2019 Million Dollar Chase with Good Odds Harada, has another crack at the big prizemoney next Friday night following Good Odds Cobber's 29.43 semi-final win.
Owner Tracey Hurst said later: "Good Odds Cobber had fallen in the final of the Black Top at The Gardens at his last start so tonight's race was test of his confidence.
"If there was any worry about that he would have shown it when he had to work hard to get around the pacemaker Sammy Ethan on the back straight.''
After the race Tracey Hurst was knocked over in the catching pen while protecting her MDC finalist.
"After winning Good Odds Cobber was standing still in the pen and it looked as if he was going to get a bump so I jumped in front of him,'' Tracey Hurst said.
"I got knocked over instead which is good because I'm not worth a million dollars like Good Odds Cobber is!"
Bezzecchi, whose all-the-way 29.12 heat win was the second-fastest time ever posted at Wentworth Park, had to come from third on the home turn to beat Trunkey Chief in 29.74 in his semi-final.
Top Sydney trainer Minnie Finn is handling Bezzecchi for WA trainer Paul Stuart during the MDC campaign, and she has a second qualifier for next Friday's final after her dog Both Bowers Ace snatched a last stride nose win over Seven Sinners in a 30.03 semi.
Trainer Michelle Sultana's big hope for the MDC, Rinsed The Lot, missed a place in Zipping Megatron's semi-final, but she secured a finalist when her WA-owned Black Top winner Sunset Frazier led most of the way in 30.12.
Valpolicella, trained in Queensland by Tony Zammit, won heat two of the 720m Farrell's Sydney Cup on Saturday in 41.68 after Ethanol Water, prepared in Victoria by Tom Dailly, had led throughout to win heat one in 41.73.
After Saturday's heat trainer Tony Zammit said: "A few runs back we were thinking of retiring Valpolicella, her owner Sandro Bechini and I thought she might have had enough."
