They produced Shima Shine to break the clock in the heats of the TAB Million Dollar Chase at Bulli last Tuesday, and for the second year in succession, the leading Victorian kennel of Andrea and Tom Dailly had a night out in the Richmond heats.
A year ago the Daillys qualified five dogs for the Richmond MDC Regional Final, winning all three heats, then a week later qualified three dogs for the Chase semi-finals. The domination wasn’t as significant on Friday night, but they did win two of the heats from their three runners engaged.
But the star of the night was a young dog who has had just six starts, but clearly has a bright future, the Mark Gatt-trained Stanley Road.
Having just his sixth race start, the dog who was a maiden three starts back, smashed the clock posting a stunning 30.21s time, and breaking 15s for his run home.
Waging War ran home strongly to grab second and gain a berth in the Regional Final, and his time of 30.46s was actually the third fastest of the four heats, but all the talk was about the young winner..
“I was even a bit wary when he (Mark) said he wanted to go in it,” Mark Gatt’s brother Daniel said. “The dog has the ability no doubt, it was whether he was seasoned enough and he definitely was.
“He had his box (one), but the dog has always shown ability, he just needed time as he was very green early on.”
Asked about his future and the potential, Daniel said: “Obviously you can never tell but he’s almost got to be a stayer to be really top class, he’s shown the traits, and the run at Wenty last week was enormous, and he has backed it tonight.”
There was a local victory in the first heat of the event at Richmond when the Hank Vanderburg-trained Wild Flyer scored.
The runner-up behind Zipping Veyron in this year’s Group 1 National Futurity at Wentworth Park back in January, Wild Flyer hadn’t won since scoring over the 618m at Richmond back in March, but she picked the right time to return to the winner’s list clocking 30.68s.
“I finally got her going alright again,” Vanderburg said. “It took me a while to get her going again. She has been trialling really good, and when I came up with the one box tonight I thought she had a great chance.
“And she loves the place here and has run some really good times here.”
The runner-up, former Tasmanian greyhound Handsome Prince was quite impressive. He was slow to move, then looked a little lost up the back straight, but still managed to persist and finish second two lengths behind the winner, to secure a berth in the Regional Final.
“First go out of the boxes here at Richmond, and first run over 500m for us, to be beaten 2½ lengths, yeah I’m pretty happy with the run,” trainer Peter Lagogiane said.
“He was just having a look around out there tonight. The dog has gone well. We have been watching his races over the last month down in Tasmania and kept an eye on him and we’re pretty happy we purChased him for a new owner.”
Victorian Jax Bale really could have given the Daillys three from three into the final. He was outside the leader most of the way, but just when he looked like he would challenge in the turn out of the back straight, he ran off and threw his chances away.
His kennelmate, Gladioli Bale, made amends in the following heat leading throughout to score and book a place in the final.
A runner-up to Shima Shine two starts back at the Meadows, and a last start winner at that track in best of the night time, the Andrea Dailly looked classy leading all the way and clocking 30.64s.
Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal winner Lilly Banner produced a great run chasing the winner throughout and hanging on well for second to gain a start in the Regional Final.
Promising pup Sanctify, winner of the Richmond Riches in brilliant fashion last week, was not the best away and did strike trouble and was never a threat, finishing 5th.
And then the Dailly’s did it again in the final heat of the night when Faithy Bale clocked the second fast time of the heats, a 30.45s performance after she flew out of box seven in 5.21s the fastest first split of the night, and once she was in front on the first turn and that was where she stayed.
Shanjo Prince - a kennelmate of Stanley Road - ran home strongly for second 2½ lengths behind the winner. A year ago in the Richmond Regional Final, Shanjo Prince was second to Jaro Bale, qualifying for the MDC semi-finals, and he will be looking to repeat the effort next Friday night.
“We are rapt with Faithy Bale,” caretaker trainer Ross Davidson said. “She was probably the one coming into tonight - the 535m it’s a tough run here - so she was probably the question mark.
“We know she has electrifying pace, she won the Ballarat Oaks and has run around the two turn tracks in Melbourne quite fast as well. She has Wentworth Park written all over her.
“I thought she (Gladiloli Bale) was one of our better chances off the red. She was beautifully drawn and her form in Melbourne has been great and she used the box nicely for her first look.”
Davidson said he is confident the pair of qualifiers will both improve for the final.
“Last year the (Dailly) dogs came up and had a look and did improve sharply. Anyone will tell you that you can improve out of sight with a look at Richmond. Jax was an example in the first race. We were told he went horrible first up on tracks and he lost those corners terribly. The two girls were out in front and were able to work their way around.”
