MINNIE Finn has trained or been closely associated with five previous Million Dollar Chase finalists but with an unprecedented four runners in Friday night's 2026 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase she gets easily her best chance of taking out the $1 million purse.
At Wentworth Park Finn will be represented by fastest semi-finalist Pound Keeping (box three), Hey Arnold (two), Shaq Keeping (four) and Winsome Jet (box eight).
Last year her daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes trained Zipping Ariel, who finished seventh, while a year earlier Both Bowers Ace, trained by Finn, finished fourth.
Remarkably Both Bowers Ace has qualified for Friday's Masters Meteor and will exit box eight in pursuit of his 35th win in 147 races.
Minnie and her late husband John Finn finished fourth with Waging War in 2020 while their two finalists 12 months later, Zipping Kyrgios and Zipping Alabama, were second and fifth respectively.
And while the last Million Dollar Chase to be held at Wentworth Park, which gets under way at 9:54PM is the big drawcard on Friday, the Masters Meteor final at 8:08PM is among the most intriguing on record.
When Mepunga Reward overcame an early bump to win his heat by 10 lengths in 29.27, many racegoers were wondering if the four-and-a-half year old veteran might have been able to qualify for the Million Dollar Chase.
But trainer Jeff Britton said: "Maybe he could have qualified for the Million Dollar Chase but it's a lot tougher tackling the fastest dogs in the country than being up against veteran dogs the same age."
"I have no regrets at all at by-passing the Million Dollar Chase and I am happy with Mepunga Reward's box two draw on Friday.”
"He has a good record from that draw, with six wins and two placings from nine starts, so he is a lot better off there than being drawn out wide.”
"On sectional times he has a few rivals who went quicker early in the heats so Mepunga Reward might have a few opponents to navigate around the first turn and on the back straight."
Mepunga Reward certainly doesn't face an easy task as on sectional times from the heats he looks hard pressed to lead at the first turn.
Mepunga Reward has box two but Speedy Pie (box three) and Jet Boots Tommy (box four) each recorded flying 5.41 first splits while Rosa Marie (box six) stopped the clock at a very slick 5.43.
The Jeff Britton-trained Mepunga Reward clocked 5.51 for the same opening section.
Rosa Marie's trainer Donna Campbell was in the 2019 Meteor final with Kroes, who was the leader at the top of the straight but weakened out of a place, while another of her team, Springcreek Bill finished second to Cosmic Bonus in 2018.
Mepunga Smokey won the 2025 Masters Meteor for Jeff Britton in 29.66 but with the race record standing at 29.57, set by Adhana Rico in 2024, Mepunga Reward's 29.27 heat figures would have easily won each of the eight previous Meteor finals.
