Pizza shop owner’s greyhound triumphs in million-dollar slot race
A pizza shop owner from Devon Meadows captured the final feature event in the $4.1 million 2023 Dream Chasers Festival when Schillaci won The Phoenix on Saturday night, December 16 for trainer Jihad Talgi and slot owners Ladbrokes.
Schillaci, aptly named after the sprinter who won eight Group 1 races, emerged as the unrivalled champion of the 2023 Phoenix slot race held at The Meadows.
With a total prize pool worth $1.65 million, Schillaci pocketed $1,000,000 for his connections and the slot holder.
For owner and trainer Jihad Talgi, the triumph held personal significance.
Having nurtured a passion for horse racing since his youth, Talgi drew inspiration from Schillaci himself.
It is well documented that Talgi had to knock back several offers to buy Schillaci the greyhound early in his career, but Talgi was unwavering in his faith in the dog.
Schillaci, who Talgi's family affectionately calls “Jaxson”, truly lived up to his reputation as a group-class greyhound racer, and now adds The Phoenix title to his 2023 Group 3 SA Derby victory.
Schillaci led all the way in the big race from box five and beat Postman Pat and Hector Fawley.
2023 The Phoenix – Schillaci (29.87) T: Jihad Talgi
Schillaci has now had 19 starts for 11 wins and three placings, but his career earnings have blossomed to $1,072,955 with The Phoenix win.
The son of Hard Style Rico and Flying Hareeba is also the 2023 SA Match Race winner and was a finalist in the Group 1 Adelaide Cup and Group 1 Topgun.
Talgi confided that having a dog like Schillaci had been a dream come true.