Their rugby league counterparts demolished the Maroons in the State of Origin opener in Townsville a week earlier, and on Thursday night, again on Queensland soil - while not quite as emphatic - the NSW greyhound team got the victory.
Many had tipped the strong NSW team to whitewash the Queenslanders at Albion Park in the third edition of the Greyhound State of Origin series, but as the case was in the previous edition of the series, it all came down to the two-dog match race.
Queensland took out the inaugural series back in 2018 winning two races to one, then NSW won the following year, again winning two races to one. The series was not staged in 2020 due to COVID-19.
And on Thursday night, like he did back in 2019, it was the kennel star of FORBES trainer Jack Smith wo sealed the deal and clinched the shield for NSW.
Fresh from winning the Group 2 Flying Amy Classic in race record time of 29.54s seven night’s earlier, it was no surprise to see Jungle Deuce a long odds on favourite, but the race wasn’t that easy.
Extra Malt jumped best and was able to clearly lead around the first bend, but she got up the track off the rail, and that allowed Jungle Deuce the opportunity to sneak up along the fence.
Once in the spot, he refused back down, and forced his way through to the lead.
Credit to the local who refused to give up, but the young NSW dog had too much class and went on to win well in 29.61s, clinching the series for the visitors.
Most expected that the best chance for NSW in the Origin Distance event would be the Tony Brett-trained Zipping Niseko, but after jumping fairly, she was unable to drive through from the rails, and was never a chance.
The David Richardson-trained Barsandi jumped well from the four box and was able to work to the lead on the first turn, and once in front, she simply refused to surrender, and held off the locals Maggie Moo Moo and Mick’s Recall to put the first Origin point on the board for the visitors, clocking a handy 41.98s.
Only seven nights earlier Barsandi had given an indication o the form she was in with a handy third to Zipping Niseko in the final of the Dashing Corsair.
The win took her record to 11 wins from 20 starts, while the $40,000 first prize more than doubled her career stakes earnings.
NSW had a super strong team in the Origin Sprint, headlined by Zipping Kyrgios, Handsome Prince, Wow and Incapacitated, but the quartet filled the back four places passing the post the first time, and the race from a NSW perspective was over right there.
Wow missed the jump, Handsome Prince and Zipping Kyrgios looked to get tangled soon after jumping, and Incapacitated was unable to get across and was checked on the first turn.
The all-the-way win went to local Orchestrate in 29.66s, who defeated a gallant Zipping Kyrgios, with another local Limited Edition finishing third.
The result locked the scores at 1-1, and like it was two years earlier, the pressure went on to a Jack Smith-trained greyhound, and like The Feral in 2019, The Deuce didn’t disappoint.
