Group 1 Golden Easter Egg winner Zipping Bailey and Group 2 Maitland Gold Cup winner Black Forge are the big name chasers headed to Maitland for the regional heats of the world's richest greyhound race - the TAB Million Dollar Chase - over 450 metres on Thursday afternoon.
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The Jason Mackay-trained Zipping Bailey has been in stellar form this year with wins in the Golden Easter Egg and Ladies Bracelet finals at Wentworth Park as part of her 21 wins from 42 starts for more than $370,000 in prize money.
The Darren Sultana-trained Black Forge loves the big one-turn Maitland track and backed up his win in this year's Maitland Gold Cup with a third to Zipping Bailey in the Golden Easter Egg final.
Zipping Bailey has drawn box eight in the first heat and Black Forge box one in the second and Maitland Greyhounds manager Tony Edmunds said both are likely to start short priced favourites.
"This is a chance for the people of Maitland to see some of the nation's best greyhounds in action as they battle it out for a chance claim the $1 million first prize at Wentworth Park in October," Edmunds said.
"This race series has been sensational in promoting greyhound racing - just like The Everest has done for the gallopers and the Inter-Dominion for harness racing - and I believe the ultimate winner of the $1 million first prize could easily come from this week's heats."
Other class runners to step out in the Million Dollar Chase heats are Greta trainer James Porter's track specialists Ronny *(box eight, heat two) and Double Mack (box seven, heat one), Jill Harper's Willoughby (box four, heat two) and Ron Marsden's Cee Jay's Boy (box two, heat two) and Hardaway Titan (box two, heat one).
The first four placegetters from the two heats will progress to the $6000 regional final at Maitland on September 26 and the first four placegetters from that final will head to Wentworth Park for the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals on October 11.
The eight semi-final winners will then battle it out for the $1 million first prize on October 18.
Maitland Greyhounds Club also hosts the East's Les Darcy Cup Final on Thursday afternoon.