Dookie Devil overcomes Sale Cup setback in Rookie Rebel win
The Group 1 Rookie Rebel (600m) at The Meadows on Saturday night saw Dookie Devil come out on top, in a thrilling victory thanks largely to greyhound trainer Glenn Dainton.
The victory marked Dainton's second Group 1 title, with his first coming in 2018 when Black Impala won the Group 1 Hume Cup (The Meadows, 600m).
Dookie Devil, who had not raced since finishing second to Jarick Bale in the 2022 Group 1 Sale Cup on Boxing Day, made his highly anticipated return to the track in 2023 in the Rookie Rebel, where he left his competitors in the dust with a fast time of 34.28.
Dookie Devil beat defending Rookie Rebel champion Jarick Bale by 3.1 lengths, with El Dorado further back in third.
Dookie Devil was charged with marring after the running of the Sale Cup and suspended for 28 days from racing at greyhound track Sale.
After the incident at the Sale Cup, Dainton decided to appeal the decision to the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT), but the appeal was unsuccessful.
Undeterred, Dainton shifted his focus to getting Dookie Devil ready for a successful comeback, and his efforts paid off with the first-up Group 1 Rookie Rebel win.
It was greyhound trainer, Glenn Dainton's second attempt at winning a Rookie Rebel having previously started Bookkeeper in the 2014 Rookie Rebel for last placing.
Dookie Devil, who has been racing for less than a year; is now a dual Group-winner adding the Group 1 Rookie Rebel to his 2022 Group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial (Sandown Park, 595m) win.
Now that the win is under his belt, Dainton has his sights set on getting Dookie Devil into the Country Classic series (Dubbo, 605m) in March as the NSW race series offers prizemoney of $150,000, making it the richest middle-distance series in the world.
Dookie Devil's victory marked his 12th win out of 26 races, with a further eight placings. The win was also his fourth in his last five races, and his fourth in his last six races over 600m at The Meadows. With this win, Dookie Devil's earnings rose to $192,195.