West Australian superstar Tommy Shelby became greyhound racing’s latest millionaire with a brilliant all the way win in one of the sport’s majors, the 2021 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg final at Wentworth Park.
Dubbed the people’s dog because of his amazing popularity around the nation, Tommy Shelby joined the likes of superstars Fanta Bale, Fernando Bale and just a handful of others to have won more than $1 million in Australian greyhound racing, when he was able to lead throughout and claim the prestigious trophy and the accompanying $250,000 first prize.
Claiming his third Group 1 of his career, Tommy Shelby has now won just over $1 million in stakes and there is still plenty more to come as the dog who is now undoubtedly the best in the country, has the potential to be out greatest ever stakes earner.
It had been a long wait for the Golden Easter Egg. It had to be cancelled like many sporting and world events in 2020 due to COVID, and then following the torrential rain last month, the series had to be put back a week, seeing the final run a week after its regular Easter Saturday timeslot.
In fact that change nearly saw the eventual winner abandon plans to race in the event.
Trainer Steve Withers wanted to return home to Perth and contest that State biggest event the Perth Cup, an event which suddenly clashed with the Egg final after the week’s delay. Withers revealed he was actually outvoted by the dog’s other owners in the decision to stay or go home, and it has proven to be a marvelous decision.
“It’s been a crazy month this one, with the floods and everything else going on and off the racetrack, but Tommy loves what he does, so we let him do it,” Withers said.
“It’s hard to see behind the boxes who has won the race but judging by the way the crowd went up I thought we might have won it.”
Asked what it’s like to now have won three Group 1s - the Hobart Thousand and the Australian Cup and now the Easter Egg - and become the latest millionaire, Withers said: “It’s going to take a while to sink it.
“It’s really hard to be the road, and this is the first time the kids have been able to come.”
A lot was spoken about what would happen in the run to the first turn, and Tommy Shelby came out humming running 5.34s to the first split, but local star Wow was right on his back as they went around the first corner.
The pair, the two favourites with punters, then staged a war down the back straight, Tommy Shelby on the fence, Wow out wide.
Swinging for home Tommy stuck to the rail like glue, Wow again searched out wide, but when the post arrived it was the West Australian taking the Egg in a new race record time of 29.27s, a time which has only ever been bettered at Wentworth Park by three other dogs, track record holder Shakey Jakey (29.07s in 2014), Flying Ricciardo (29.22s in 2021) and Fernando Bale (29.26s in 2015).
The runner-up was far from disgraced, finishing just 1½ lengths behind Tommy Shelby, with outsider Baroque Knight producing a career best run to grab third a further 3¼ lengths away.
