MDC winner McInerney ready for The Phoenix, despite bad luck
Plaintiff’s scratching from The Phoenix at The Meadows could actually have a detrimental effect on Million Dollar Chase winner McInerney’s chances.
They were the honest thoughts of his trainer Brendan Pursell ahead of the world’s richest greyhound race – worth $1.65 million – on Saturday night.
Never mind drawing the dreaded box eight, it’s the lack of early speed which might hinder the gun three-year-old with $26 winning odds on greyhound betting sites.
Jason Thompson’s flyer with almost $270,000 to his name – as a result of 17 wins from 32 starts – was withdrawn on Monday.
Zippy Tesla for Bradley Keel will now start from box five with $11 winning odds.
This development will make a very tough slot race even tougher, according to Pursell.
“It’s a hard race and we’ll need a lot of luck, but you never know,” he told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“Probably Plaintiff being scratched made it even worse.
“I was hoping for Plaintiff to come out and put pressure on the inside dogs.
“And if a mix-up was to happen, then he might be able to whip around them.
“But we’ll have to see what happens now.”
When faced with the choice of selecting lane four or eight from Sunday’s box draw, Pursell was content to choose the wide box.
But that was before Plaintiff was withdrawn.
“I went that way because if I went with four I would’ve had Plaintiff or Amron Boy outside of me,” he said.
“I would’ve been in trouble straight away, and I know my dog can handle eight.
“He actually does go OK from wide draws.
“It’s a hard race and we’ll need a lot of luck, but you never know.”
Despite this little bit of bad fortune, Pursell said he was happy with the way his kennel star had prepared.
And after winning the 2022 Million Dollar Chase over 520m in 29.50 seconds on September 24, McInerney’s form has been good.
He beat Saturday night’s opponents Paddy Wants Pats and El Dorado over 515m in the Melbourne Cup Launch in 29.28 seconds on October 6.
He then finished runner-up to emergency Photo Man in the $150,000 to-the-winner Topgun over 525m on November 5.
The Phoenix will be over the same distance.
“He trialed better last Thursday than what he’s ever trialed,” Pursell said.
“Before the Topgun he trailed at the same track and same distance.
“He went three-and-a-half lengths quicker.
“I can’t fault him – there’s nothing wrong with him.
“There’s nothing wrong with him. He hasn’t had a run for 26 days.
“But that won’t matter to me too much. We’ve done it with him before and he’s come out and gone good off it.”
Pursell said young gun two-year-old and Silver Chief winner Amron Boy would be the one to beat on Saturday night.
He is the equal $3.20 favourite with 2021 Million Dollar Chase winner She’s A Pearl.
The Phoenix could be the champion bitch’s swan song race, as her handler Paul Mills told Australian Racing Greyhound this week.
But with Plaintiff’s withdrawal, it could now greatly benefit Brooke Ennis’ runner from the four box, while She’s A Pearl has the benefit of box one.
“I think with the scratching of Plaintiff, Amron Boy has gone from being a very good hope to a really good hope,” Pursell said.
“I just think he might be able to drop in behind those three inside him and rail up.
“He’s just airborne at the moment and wants to win.
“He’s definitely the one to beat.
“It (his convincing four-length Silver Chief win) was awesome. He’s a superstar dog and one of the best in Australia.
“We definitely want him to have bad luck for us to have a chance of winning.”
Meanwhile, Pursell will have $4 winning chance Moraine Suzy lining up from box six in the $34,400 Ladbrokes Christmas Cheer Invitational over 720m at Wentworth Park also on Saturday night.
The two-year-old brindle bitch won the Topgun Stayers by three lengths over Mepunga Ruby on November 5.
Jeff Britton’s three-year-old black bitch has $4.80 winning odds for Saturday night.
“She’s good. I can’t fault her at all,” Pursell said when asked about Moraine Suzy.
“She’s been unlucky her past two runs. In the Bold Trease Final she was unlucky (sixth on November 26), and then it all went pear-shaped in the five-dog field at Geelong last start.
“She hit the rail a couple of times and ran up the bum of another.
“It was just hard to get going – I had no doubt she was going to win.”
The only doubt Pursell has about Moraine Suzy’s chances on Saturday night are if she adjusts to the travel from his Lara property up to Sydney’s home of greyhound racing.
“She’s been up there twice before for the Nationals (and Sydney Cup heats). I was a little disappointed,” he said.
“She ran two thirds, but she ran ordinary.
“We got invited up there (for the Christmas Cheer Invitational), and I said to the owner ‘we might as well do it and see how she goes’.
“That’s because if she doesn’t fire up and go reasonably well while she can, then there’s no use travelling with her because she hasn’t been handling going away very well.”
Pursell said Saturday’s performance – from a non-ideal lane – would give him a good gauge on what he can aim his star staying bitch for in the future.
“It’s more of an experiment just to see what she does. She’s better off drawing close to the fence than out in the six,” he said.
“If she goes like we know she can, she’ll be right in it.
“It (her Topgun Stayers victory) was great. That’s how she can go.
“She didn’t do that in the two starts before that. We backed off on her the past two weeks and changed a couple of little things.
“I’m trying to work out if she can handle the quick back-ups.”
Despite having a 2022 to remember, Pursell shifted the credit back on his greyhounds.
“If you’ve got the dogs, they do the talking don’t they?” he said.
“You train them the same way you train the slower ones. You’ve just got to have good dogs.
“That’s why we have success. I’ve just been lucky I’ve been at the right time with them.”
It hasn’t all been rosy for the top Victorian conditioner.
Some tough times earlier in the year made him extra grateful for the good times he has experienced.
“From January to March, I had the worst run I’ve ever had with dogs,” he said.
“I just couldn’t get a winner. So it can turn around. That’s the beauty of racing, I reckon.
“In the racing game you go through a few lulls and highs.
“When you get the highs, you know you can go back to the lows pretty quickly.”
2022 The Phoenix (525m) Box Draw – The Meadows on December 17
2022 The Phoenix FieldThe MeadowsDecember 17525m
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1She’s A Pearl
T: Jodie Lord
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2 Paddy Wants Pats
T: Kelly Bravo
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3 El Dorado
T: Daryl Holmes
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4 Amron Boy
T: Brooke Ennis
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5 Plaintiff
T: Jason Thompson
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6 Wow She’s Fast
T: Jacqueline Greenough
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7 Tyanna Belle
T: Douglas Gladman
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8 McInerney
T: Brendan Pursell
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