Last year's Million Dollar Chase runner-up Eriza Sparkles is just a single victory away from contesting the 2026 final after winning her regional MDC final at Nowra last Wednesday.
Eriza Sparkles clocked her fastest Nowra 520m time of 29.31 in her easy regional final victory and has now qualified for the MDC semi-finals at Wentworth Park on October 9.
Tommy Shelby, sire of Eriza Sparkles, finished third to Handsome Prince and Xerri in the 2020 Million Dollar Chase final and no trainer is more deserving of Million Dollar Chase success than Eriza Sparkles' conditioner Steve Fitch.
His dog Cumbria Kid was second, beaten a half-length, by Queensland's Jay Is Jay in the 2023 final, but could have won had he not checked off the winner's heels half-way down straight.
Then last year Eriza Sparkles chased home Power And Glory in 29.15, fastest of the eight Million Dollar Chase finals.
"The winner went too well last year but Eriza Sparkles probably should have finished closer.'' Steve Fitch said.
"She drew box two and was crowded all the way to the first turn by My Boy Bingo, who had box three and wanted to crash to the rails when the lids lifted.”
"While they were bumping, Power And Glory sailed to the lead and that was the end of the section.”
"I think Eriza Sparkles is going every bit as well now as she was last year when she clocked 29.17 at Wenty on October 10 and became the fastest bitch to race there.”
"I have mapped out a plan for Eriza Sparkles and her next assignment will be the heats of the Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top at The Gardens on September 19.”
"After that series I will take her back to have another look at Wentworth Park and in the final lead-up to the MDC semis I intend giving her a pipe opening sprint at Bulli.''
Steve Fitch had a Jim's Cleaning franchise until he became a professional greyhound trainer, and on Thursday night Matt Fordham, who has held a Jim's Mowing franchise for the past 18 years, landed his first Wentworth Park winner as a trainer.
Fordham, who has just two greyhounds in work, has been a hobby trainer for only six months and won a 520m fifth grade with Queen Caramel.
"She had a bit of luck going through the first turn and only clocked 30.22 but I think Queen Caramel is capable of getting down to around 30sec flat.'' Fordham said.
"My brother Craig has raced greyhounds for many years and the sport goes back generations in my family.”
"I part-own Queen Caramel with some pals and we raced her mother, Queen Bolt.”
"She was trained for us by Errol Hughes and because she won 16 races and over $44,000, we figured she didn't owe us anything so mated her with Feral Franky.”
"Queen Caramel, whelped in February, 2024, was among the pups produced by that mating.”
"Before last Thursday night Queen Caramel had a couple of post-to-post slips at Wentworth Park and trialed 30.26 at her only 520m hit-out there.”
"One thing in Queen Caramel's favour is that she is a very keen chaser, she is as mad as a cut snake and destroyed the bedding in her kennel before her race last Thursday.''
The other Million Dollar Chase regional final winner from last week was the Charmaine Roberts trained Grant Keeping, who ran down kennelmate Clarice Keeping to win the 516m Dubbo qualifier on Thursday.
A split webbing sustained during a Melbourne campaign a fortnight later was a setback that may have contributed to the dog's defeats at Dubbo and Wentworth Park on August 1 and 6 but he proved last Thursday and in his Vic Peters win that when he gets the start right, Grant Keeping can be a formidable Million Dollar Chase prospect.
