Good Odds Harada’s defence of his TAB Million Dollar Chase title is alive and well after the 2019 champion showed great tenacity and character to win his way through to next Friday’s semi-finals in Saturday’s City Qualifiers at Wentworth Park, and in the process became the second highest prizemoney earner in Australian greyhound racing.
Having missed out last month at Bulli, this was the Frank Hurst-trained dog’s last chance to keep the back-to-back dream alive, and while his supporters may have had a few anxious moments, in the end he got the job done, overhauling the leader Wallbanger near the line in 30.00s.
It was a very relieved Hurst after the race, who now is hoping for a good box draw next Friday so he and Harada get the chance to create more history.
And with the win on Saturday and the $6,000 prizemoney, Good Odds Harada’s career tally went to $1,300,985, which surpasses Fernando Bale’s $1,299,370. Now only Fanta Bale is ahead of Good Odds Harada having earned $1,365,175 during his illustrious career.
Nobody will forget the sight of Peter Lagogiane dancing down the Wentworth Park straight in 2018 when he and wife JODIE won the inaugural Million Dollar Chase with Mystic Riot, and he added to his MDC semi-finalists on Saturday night with a pair of City Qualifier wins.
Former Tasmanian Handsome Prince led from soon after boxrise, clocking 30.09s to open his NSW account for Lagogiane, and in the following race Shetland drove up inside his rivals on the first turn and then led the rest of the way to win in 30.07s.
“We gave Handsome Prince a trial here during the week and he went great so we were quietly confident,” Lagogiane said. “With Shetland, we found a little problem with him and we have been working on that and he went well tonight, and he’ll improve again in the semis.”
Lagogiane also qualified Stardom for the semi-finals after he finished a great second behind Shima Shine in the Bulli Regional Final last month.
Mark Gatt had one of the first semi-finalists through when Ritza Coen won the NSW State Sprint Championship Final in August, he then got another when Blistering won the Goulburn Regional Final, and now has another with Tennessee Tiger returning brilliantly to form last night winning 29.79s.
Having just his fifth start back since a serious back injury in April, Gatt was full of praise for the dog having overcome the injury and returned to the winners’ list.
Another local trainer now with multiple semi-finalists is Michael Eberand, whose young sprinter Ebby Jet Power qualified after getting the head bob in over Victorian Who Told Stevie in 30.15s.
The Mick Hardman-trained Zulu Warlord has had just six race starts but will have his seventh in the MDC semi-finals after leading throughout to win the opening qualifier in 30.01s.
Hardman bought the dog for new owners recently and decided to have a shot at the MDC qualifiers despite his inexperience.
Tess Simmons bought Incapacitated as a three month old pup, and having been along for the entire ride made the dog’s win in his City Qualifier all the more special.
Tess, and trainer Justin King now have a runner in next Friday’s MDC semi-finals, with Incapacitated coming with a perfectly timed run to snatch victory in 29.97s.
And the final Qualifier was taken out by Cumbria Belle for Nowra trainer Steve Fitch.
Cumbria Belle had no luck last Sunday in the Nowra Regional Final, a race in which her brother Cumbria Dreaming qualified for the semi-finals finishing second to Cawborne Footrot, but from box three on Saturday she stepped well and drove through to hold the lead on the first turn and stave off any challengers, winning in 30.09s
The box draw for the semi-finals will be conducted on Monday.
