MURRINGO greyhound breeder Paul Wheeler claimed the most prize money ever won in an Australian greyhound race in Friday night’s $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup at Sandown Park.
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A flawless display from the Jenny Hunt-trained Dyna Villa ($3.50) saw the greyhound clinch the victory to claim a $420,000 first prize.
“I’m lost for words… I’m shaking,” were Wheeler’s first words after the 29.361 second win.
That’s close to $14,000 per second.
Dyna Villa had been undefeated at Sandown Park, and undefeated from box 8, but it was the racing tactic Wheeler described as the critical part.
“He did what he had to do to win the race - he cleared them at the first turn, and that was the critical part. And he kept going - so it was terrific,” he said.
The victory was almost 15 years to the day since Wheeler had won the first of his three Melbourne Cups, when new kid on the block Kantarn Bale blew greyhound racing’s 1999 field away in just his ninth start.
Then three years ago his dogs won seven of the semi-finals.
“In 2010 we made the Melbourne Cup final with seven out of the eight competitors and we ran from first to seventh.”
Like Kantarn Bale, Dyna Villa took the early lead from box 8 to win the Melbourne Cup, but the most interesting likeness about the pair is that they were both the youngest greyhounds in the race on the night.
Kantarn Bale was an incredibly young 21- months-old when he won the Melbourne Cup, while Dyna Villa is 25-months-old - the youngest in Friday night’s race by three months.
While Wheeler wasn’t about to start comparing Dyna Villa (Collision–Roxio Bale) to his GRV Hall of Fame inductee, he had no trouble heaping the praise on his newest superstar.
“He’s not a renowned beginner, so it was a mighty effort for a dog his age to do what he did tonight,” Wheeler said.
“I’ve been in greyhound racing too long to ever get confident during a race, but when he turned for home four or five (lengths) in front he was looking pretty good.”
Sandown Park is no place for the faint-hearted, yet Dyna Villa’s dominance of the track is like few greyhounds before him.
He has now won eight from eight at the venue that many experts consider the toughest greyhound track in the country.
Dyna Villa’s overall record stands at 14 wins from 22 starts, while the $420,000 first prize saw his earnings spiral up to $466,000 as he defeated NSW greyhound Chica Destacada by two lengths, with Keybow third.
“It’s the flagship of the grand industry that particular race,” Wheeler said.
“As you can imagine down there you had officials from the greyhound industry as well as representatives from the state government, it’s the highest ranking race in Australia. So to win that... it’s a real feather in your cap.”
