Kurri Kurri trainer Jason Mackay spearheads a powerful Maitland connection in the final of the world's richest greyhound race the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
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Mackay qualified Maitland regional final winner Flying Bazza (box 3) and Wentworth Park heat winner and fastest qualifier Get It Gizmo (box 1) while Maitland 450 metre track record holder Pindari Expresss (box 4) and Maitland Future Stars Maiden winner Good Odds Harada (box 2) make up half the field.
Maitland Greyhounds manager Tony Edmunds was delighted with the result, saying that if any of these four dogs reproduce their best form on the night they have every chance of taking home the $1,000,000 first prize.
Mackay's kennel has been in red-hot form this year with success already in the Group 1 $250,000 Golden Easter Egg and he was glowing in his praise of Get It Gizmo after he clocked a sensational run-home of 11.49 seconds to record the fastest semi-final of 29.45s.
"Very few dogs ever run that," Mackay told Sky Racing presenter Dave Carlson when told of the run-home time. "That's his second look at this joint through the boxes ... there might be something still in him."
One thing punters can be sure of is that Mackay's two runners are well drawn on the inside and will be primed and ready to produce their best.
A year ago this week the Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Harada announced himself as a star of the future when he won a heat of the Maitland Future Stars Maiden and backed up a week later to win the final and take home the $7000 first prize.
Since then Good Odds Harada has developed into one of NSW's best young greyhounds and showed that when he finished second in the National Sprint final at Cannington in August.
"Good Odds Harada is unbeaten in his four starts since returning from Cannington and blew his rivals away with a strong 29.66s win from box seven in last week's semi-finals," Edmunds said.
"I would have liked to have seen him drawn wider than box two, but he's a good beginner likely to give them something to chase if he can lead them through the first corner."
Chifley trainer Tracey Scruse became emotional and was lost for words when Carlson interviewed her after Pindari Express came from well back to win his semi-final.
Pindari Express also has a big Maitland fan club, having been reared at Butterwick by Jodie and Michael Manuel and raced at the Maitland track early in his career.
"Some of the older trainers here at Maitland say that Pindari Express is the fastest greyhound they've ever seen and his 24.59 seconds track record run over the 450m here on the 5th of July in 2018 has proven difficult to beat," Edmunds said.
"Pindari Express is not the greatest of beginners and will struggle early from the squeeze box (number four) but if he's within just a few lengths of the leaders when they round the home corner he's the dog you would want to have your money on."
Flying Bazza (box three) is likely to fly under the radar with punters as he has had only 14 starts for his seven wins, but he is unbeaten in five starts from boxes one, two and three.
The other Million Dollar Chase finalists are Black Opium (Jason Thompson, box 5, the second fastest semi-final winner), Shima Shine (Andrea Dailey, box 6), Jimmy Casey (Peter Carr, box seven), Curt Lee (Glenn Rounds, box 8). The reserves are Perfect Marshall (Janet Cottrell) and Aston Duke (Jason Mackay).