Zammit family poised for Group 1 triumphs at Wentworth Park
In a show of family talent, the known Queensland greyhound trainers Tony and Michael Zammit, along with Michael's wife Selena, are gearing up to leave their mark at Wentworth Park this Saturday night.
The Zammit's, a presence in the sport for more than five decades, will each have a greyhound competing in the finals of the prestigious Group 1 Golden Easter Egg Carnival.
Tony, a Hall of Famer in the field, will be handling Valpolicella, who is currently favoured at $2.35 to secure her victory in a Group 1 race at the Association Cup Final over 720 metres with the leading greyhound bookmakers.
On the other hand, Michael and Selena will be showcasing All Natural, positioned fourth in betting behind Mackenna from Michelle Sultana's team, Zipping Megatron trained by Jason Magri, and Nad Al Sheba out of Peter Lagogiane's kennel in the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg Final over 520 metres.
2024 Golden Easter Egg Final Box Draw And Odds
2024 Golden Easter Egg Final Box Draw & FieldWentworth Park520mGroup 1$350,000 to-the-winnerSaturday April 20, 2024
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1 Ferness
T: Ronald EvansF: 2242Career: 14: 6-4-0Prizemoney: $24,600
+1000
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2 Mackenna
T: Michelle SultanaF: 1116Career: 16: 11-2-0Prizemoney: $39,660
-117.65
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3 Zipping Megatron
T: Jason MagriF: 2111Career: 11: 8-2-0Prizemoney: $53,460
+400
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4 Nad Al Sheba
T: Peter LagogianeF: 1211Career: 32: 15-8-5Prizemoney: $81,260
+600
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5 Nangar Jim
T: Jospeh McFaydenF: 2311Career: 30: 15-10-1Prizemoney: $149,740
+1400
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6 All Natural
+750
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7 Nangar Larry
+1000
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8 Marvel Zombie
T: Allan ManwaringF: 2531Career: 43: 9-17-8Prizemoney: $45,020
+2200
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For Michael, reaching this moment has been quite extraordinary.
His wife Selena had always dreamt of winning the Golden Easter Egg trophy, and fate smiled upon them when they bred a litter with ties to her father, Jeff Jones, and mother, Lillian.
This special litter gave rise to Queensland greyhound of the year Jay Is Jay, a racer who broke Albion Parks 520 metre record and emerged victorious in the Million Dollar Chase.
Nevertheless, fate took a twist when Jay Is Jay faced a performance decline that led to blood tests and his temporary withdrawal from racing.In a stroke of luck, his younger brother, All Natural, made a performance by clinching the spot in the Golden Easter Egg heat and emerging victorious in the semi final race.
Michael remains fully focused on the challenge, highlighting the importance of each race. He expresses satisfaction with All Natural's state and is confident that the dog is at his peak performance level for Saturday's competition.
Despite being assigned box six, Michael remains undeterred, trusting in his greyhound's ability and continuous improvement with every race at Wentworth Park.
2024 Association Cup Final Box Draw And Odds
2024 Association Cup Final Box Draw & FieldWentworth Park720mGroup 1$75,000 to-the-winnerSaturday April 20, 2024
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1 What Can Do
T: Craig BenjaminF: 2312Career: 24: 3-7-4Prizemoney: $22,090
+3400
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2 Sin Rap Explode
T: Shaun ParnisF: 3441Career: 20: 4-3-5Prizemoney: $28,805
+2200
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3 Al's Entity
T: Darryl ThomasF: 1721Career: 34: 10-10-6Prizemoney: $101,735
+750
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4 Canya Amy
+360
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5 Palawa King
T: Raymond SmithF: 1212Career: 62: 26-12-11Prizemoney: $730,325
+180
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6 Misty Black
T: Shane DrummondF: 3315Career: 48: 6-10-12Prizemoney: $45,065
+2600
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7 Goulburn Girl
T: Gregory HoreF: 2351Career: 38: 4-2-11Prizemoney: $32,600
+8000
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8 Valpolicella
T: Tony ZammitF: 1211Career: 45: 24-8-7Prizemoney: $417,695
+135
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On another front, Tony hopes for success in the distance event seem to centre around a battle between Valpolicella and the formidable NSW contender, Palawa King under Jack Smiths training.
Tony acknowledges the lack of pace among competitors and intends to leverage Valpolicella's track awareness and ability to make up ground from behind.
While acknowledging Palawa King's finishing skills as an opponent, Tony remains optimistic about securing a significant lead before reaching the final stretch.
A triumph for Valpolicella on Saturday evening would solidify her position as Tony's best dog to date surpassing even his previous top performers.
Her distinctive racing technique – marked by her capacity to come from behind and maneuver around or, through dogs – instills a sense of pride and respect in Tony.
Can the Zammit family claim both group 1's this Saturday night at Wentworth Park and secure a greater mark on Australian greyhound racing?