Western Australia has not produced a Million Dollar Chase winner but Bezzecchi, rated the best greyhound to come to Sydney from Perth in decades, went within .05sec of Shakey Jakey's long-standing track record in his MDC city qualifier on Saturday night.
Owned and trained by Paul Stuart, who prepared the great stayer Miata, Bezzecchi trialled 29.67 for caretaker Sydney trainer Minnie Finn at Wentworth Park on September 21 but slashed those figures to 29.12 in his all-the-way 14 lengths win on Saturday.
Shakey Jakey set the track record of 29.07 in April, 2014, but Bezzecchi reeled off splits of 5.38, 13.61 and 17.62 on Saturday before running home in 11.51.
Bezzecchi
Minnie Finn's dog Zipping Kyrgios was beaten a head by McInerney in a 2022 Million Dollar Chase final but she now has a great chance of taking out the 2024 version, albeit in the role of caretaker trainer.
Zipping Kyrgios' owners, Marty and Fiona Hallinan, also have a live chance in this year's Million Dollar Chase with their Jason Magri-trained dog Zipping Megatron storming home to win his qualifier on Saturday in 29.54.
McInerney's Victorian trainer Brendan Pursell has two MDC semi-finalists after the win by King Owen in 29.67 and the second placing by Cruising Debbie behind Blue Goose Boy in 29.59 on Saturday.
Angel Shirley, bought as a pup for $7000 by Kevin Schalk, is through to the MDC semi-finals after her come-from-behind heat win in 29.57 on Saturday.
Trained by Peter Lagogiane, who won the 2018 MDC with Mystic Riot and the final two years later with Handsome Prince, Angel Shirley had to work hard from box seven to win on Saturday.
Angel Shirley's owner Kevin Schalk said after his bitch's win on Saturday: "She had box seven when she won in 29.59 at Wenty on September 28 and had the same box tonight but she can go a lot better from an inside draw.
"I just hope she can come up with an inside alley in next week's semi-finals.''
Mepunga Shine, winner of Melbourne's Group 1 Silver Chief Classic, finally brought his Victorian form to Sydney when he led throughout to win his MDC qualifier on Saturday in 29.65.
After the race trainer Jeff Britton said: "He has been a bit off for the past couple of runs and he didn't break 30sec in a 520m trial I gave him at Wentworth Park last week but it seems he is coming good again at the right time.''
Surprise package of the MDC qualifiers was the brilliant 29.52 all-the-way win by the Joe McFadyen-trained Ali Tango, who repeated his sizzling 29.13 win at The Gardens on September 27.
The Jason Mackay-trained Exploded maintained his flawless Wentworth Park 720m record by producing a personal best 41.51 to notch his third straight Wenty win in Saturday's top grade long-distance race.
Exploded had to pull out all stops in the straight after being tackled coming to the home bend by the highly regarded Victorian bitch Ella's Babe, but held on to win by a half length.
Daniel Flanagan, who caught Exploded for trainer Jason Mackay, said later: "That was only the dog's second 720m race since August and he was blowing after the race so he'll improve.
"Jason has been working him hard at home but nothing beats race fitness and that run will do Exploded the world of good.''
