The TAB Million Dollar Chase series may come to an end on Friday night at Wentworth Park, but that doesn’t mean an end to feature racing in NSW, and next Tuesday two clubs at different points of the State’s compass, will host heats of their premier events, and the stars are coming out for both events.
Heats of the Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup will be run on Tuesday afternoon, and later that night, heats of the Lismore Workers Lismore Cup heats will be take centre stage.
Just as they managed to do 12 months ago, the Goulburn Club has attracted Frank Hurst’s TAB Million Dollar Chase winner Good Odds Harada who will contest the third of four quality heats.
Good Odds Harada, who was unable to defend his title having failed to progress past the semi-finals last week, has drawn box 5, and will face the likes of fellow MDC semi-finalists Wow (box 8) and Ritza Donald (box 6) and Jodie Lord’s Young Star finalist Rapallo (box 2).
In the opening heat of the Goulburn Cup, TAB Million Dollar Chase Grand Finalist Awesome Catch has drawn box 4. The dog who broke the Nowra track record recently, and who stunned many with his semi-final win last week, has never raced at Goulburn but should be well suited by the long straights.
Also in the heat is MDC semi-finalist Keenando (box 2), smart dog Got To Casino (box 1), and Good Odds Buddy (box 8).
Heat two sees another two MDC semi-finalists, Poppy Jack (box 8) and Cawborne Marty (box 5), as well as the Lord trio Jax Kade (box 4) Sovereign King (box 3) and Derby Express (box 2), as well as Victorian sprinter Out Of Sprite (box 1), a winner of his past four on the trot.
The Lord kennel also have three in the final heat, headlined by MDC semi-final placegetter Winlock On Top (box 7), as well as Idle Ranger (box 6) and Spookie Vision (box 8).
Many eyes will also be on Ad Astra (box 3), the litter brother to MDC grand finalist Xerri, and MDC semi-finalists Wow and Whitfield. Ad Astra has won four of his five starts.
At Lismore, the club has also been able to attract some smart greyhounds, and been able to draw four heats for their $40,000 to the winner feature event.
In total there are nine greyhounds who contested the TAB Million Dollar Chase semi-finals, and a Group 1 winner in the four heats.
The opening heat sees Mark Moroney’s Fire Legend (box 5) and local star Jake’s Girl (box 1), along with Gosford Gold Cup winner Kid Candle (box 2), and Group 1 Brisbane Cup finalist and runner-up in the Queensland Sprint Championship Final, Shakey Diesel (box 3).
Heat two sees Fred Swain’s brilliant youngster All Hands Off (box 3) who had no luck in his MDC semi-final, along with Kooringa Lucy (box 7) who was fourth to Shadow Mist in the semi-finals, and Group 1 winner Oh Mickey (box 6).
The third heat has some very smart dogs, including Michael Eberand’s Ebby Jet Power (box 4), Aston Zodiac (box 1) who led until late when less than a length second behind Wallbanger in the MDC semis last Friday, and Selena Zammit’s Sequana (box 2) who has won seven of her past eight starts.
The final heat of what looms as a tremendous series, will see another pair of Queensland Chase semi-finalists with strong chances of winner.
Stinger Noir (box 2) who was second to Waging War in the semi-finals and Cooper Dooper (box 6) who had no luck at all in the semis, will be among the main chances in the last heat, along with the Mark Moroney-trained Fire On Ice who hasn’t raced since being injured in the Black Top Final at Ladbrokes Gardens back in August.
