Dyna Double One’s Australian Cup win equals 58-year-old record
THE brilliant come-from-behind victory by the Andrea Dailly-trained Dyna Double One in the $250,000-to-the-winner final of the Group 1 Australian Cup (525m) at the Meadows on Saturday night not only propelled the black dog past the million dollars in prize money mark, it also made him only the second greyhound to win the Melbourne Cup in one year and the Australian Cup in the following year in the 58 years the two races have been conducted.
The Melbourne Cup, as we know it today, was officially inaugurated in 1956, while the Australian Cup had its beginnings in 1958.
In that year (1958), the Australian Cup was run at the old North Melbourne course as a handicap over 675 yards (617 metres). One of the greatest greyhounds to have ever raced in Australia, Rookie Rebel, scored a brilliant three lengths victory in that inaugural race, downing the smart NSW greyhound Magic Babe to earn what was then a substantial prize of £800 ($1,600). Rookie Rebel had won the 1957 Melbourne Cup, also run as a handicap, over 565 yards (516 metres) on the-then grass circuit at Sandown, scoring by six lengths from the smart Montana Jet.
Since then, no greyhound, until Dyna Double One, has managed to take the Melbourne Cup and follow up a few months later with a win in the Australian Cup, although a few have tried.
In 1966, Cheltenham Lass (who had run second in the Australian Cup earlier in the year) took out the Melbourne Cup, defeating Fawn Nulla. She then made the final of the 1967 Australian Cup, but Fawn Nulla turned the tables on her and she again had to settle for second place.
In 1978, Tangaloa won the Melbourne Cup, but had to be content with second in the 1979 Australian Cup. A year later though, Tangaloa came out of retirement and snared the 1980 Australian Cup, and the Australian prize money earnings record with it.
NSW sprinter Acclaim Star won the 1979 Melbourne Cup and made the 1980 Australian Cup final, but could only finish sixth behind Tangaloa.
In the Group racing era there have been five Melbourne Cup winners who have then gone on to be an Australian Cup finalist the following year, and none have been successful.
The 2001 Melbourne Cup winner Classic Capri could only run fourth to Isa Brown in the 2002 Australian Cup.
Excite Ability finished seventh in the 2003 Australian Cup after winning the previous year's Melbourne Cup.
Closing Argument ran fourth in the 2006 Australian Cup after success in the 2005 Melbourne Cup.
Shanlyn Prince took out the 2007 Melbourne Cup before running seventh in the 2008 Australian Cup, while 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dyna Tron ran third in the 2012 Australian Cup.
So, Dyna Double One faced a bit of a hoodoo in his attempt to snare the dual Cups, but then that's what a champion will do, break a hoodoo.