All Lies Ahead edges out kennelmate in Michael Miller Memorial
It was a tight finish as All Lies Ahead took out the Michael Miller Memorial Final at Capalaba on Sunday afternoon.
The Stephen Keep-trained chaser lined up in the 366m fifth-grade contest as a $5 chance with online greyhound bookmakers.
His kennelmate Sal's Blue Boy started the race as joint favourite with the Doug Gladman-trained Hudson Bay at $2.70 odds.
Jumping from box seven, Hudson Bay hunted out wide to take the lead down the straight on the bayside track.
Keep's pair hit the lead with huge runs down the centre of the track, with the result going to video review.
The dog in the blue rug took the win by the smallest of margins, 0.06 of a length, in front of Sal's Blue Boy and Poseidon Rush ($51).
The winning time of 19.52 smashed the previous best of 19.66 clocked by All Lies Ahead in his last start.
Michael Miller Memorial Final 2023 replay – All Lies Ahead
In his heat on August 20, he took out his heat of the Michael Miller Memorial, beating home Tweed Force and Next Fairway.
It is a true comeback story, with trainer Keep saying it was touch and go for the chaser after suffering a twisted bowel recently.
“We were possibly about an hour away from losing him,” Keep said.
“I took him to our vet in Grafton, Ray Barnett, who did a magnificent job. Operated on him and saved him.
“He has only been back for three starts – two wins and a second.”
All Lies Ahead is a handy chaser who mixes distances and has gone unplaced only three times in his last 19 starts.
The Barcia Bale x Precious Sal dog has eight wins and 11 placings from 25 career starts and has banked $29,295 in prize money.
Northern NSW trainer Keep told media during the week that he would point All Lies Ahead towards the $75,000-to-the-winner Capalaba Cup in October.
“We also have the heats of the Million Dollar Chase coming up at Grafton and I will look at that with these two (with Sal's Blue Boy),” he said.
“We will just see how the dogs go to see where they end up, but I'm certainly interested in the Capalaba Cup.
“I think they are really well suited to that track. They are fit, strong dogs and they love the straight.
“Yes, we will be taking on dogs who are well-seasoned on that track, but after a couple of more runs these two will be just as suited there.”