Rinsed The Lot V Barefoot Zulu Excites

Mackenna, the Michelle Sultana-trained 2024 Golden Easter Egg winner, has gone amiss and is out of the upcoming Million Dollar Chase.

Sultana's partner Darryl Thomas said: "Mackenna has picked up an injury, nothing serious but enough to put her out the big race.''

So when the seventh running of the Million Dollar Chase gets underway with two heats at Maitland tonight, Rinsed The Lot will carry the hopes of the Sultana/Thomas kennel.

The expected highlight is the clash of Rinsed The Lot and Steve Keep's Grafton record holder Barefoot Zulu in heat one.

Barefoot Zulu has box three, with box two vacant, but Rinsed The Lot is early favourite after drawing box one.

Brad Canty, who heads the syndicate which owns Rinsed The Lot, is confident his dog can beat the Grafton star.

"Our dog has box one and Maitland is his home track, he is unbeaten in four races there and has run 24.83 for the 450m trip.

"Barefoot Zulu trialled 25.17 there last week but he will need to go a lot quicker to beat Rinsed The Lot on Monday.''

Jay Opetaia has been blessed with several quick dogs so when he rates Swift Challenge, an all-the-way winner at Wentworth Park last Thursday night, as "the best" he has trained, we should take notice.

Awarded the 2023 Young Achiever of the Year award by GRNSW, Opetaia landed his first group race when Street Of Dreams won Gunnedah's Chief Havoc Cup while Agland Luai posted 29.46 among his 17 Wentworth Park wins.

Swift Challenge, who led when second behind Flash On By at his Wentworth Park debut on August 15, led throughout in the fair time of 30.07 at Wenty last Thursday and because he does not turn two until November, Opetaia has big plans for the dog.

"I will aim for the city qualifiers of the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on October 5 and failing that, will put him in the October 13 heats of the Young Star, which has a $25,000 to the winner final,'' Opetaia said.

"Swift Challenge can go a lot quicker than what he ran on Thursday night.

"Before he raced at Wentworth Park he clocked a fast 24.01 in a post-to-post slip and then he recorded 29.70 coming from the 520m boxes.

"Thursday's win was a tough one because he went head-and-head with Zipping Kristoff for most of the way.

"I bought Swift Challenge from his breeder Paul Braddon after the youngster had a few races in the bush.''

Swift Challenge is by Jack Smith's under-rated stud dog Brad Hill Billy from Braddon's smart bitch Ferrero Miss, who won 13 races.

Ken Gorry has only two greyhounds in work but Donna Maree, bought as a pup for only $3000, looks set to give him plenty to cheer about following her impressive first-up Wentworth Park win last Thursday.

Sent out a $41 outsider and having her first test beyond 401m, Donna Maree trailed odds-on favourite Go Lani to the home bend before flashing home to win by a half-length in a smart 29.78.

"Many years ago I trained a very good straight tracker called Incohoots, who won the Wyong Derby, but then I was out of the game for a fair while,'' Gorry said.

"I bought Donna Maree at four months of age from her breeder Joe Sciberras and she has always had plenty of ability.

"In her first post-to-post slip at Wentworth Park she clocked 24.28 and then she trimmed that down to 23.98 which is pretty quick.

"Although she rails well when trialling on her own she handled the wide box seven draw perfectly on Thursday.''