History beckons super sprinter Simon Told Helen… Could he be the sport’s next ‘fast dog’ millionaire?
Trained by David Burnett, four-time Group 1 winner Simon Told Helen is potentially a few starts away from a $1 million payday in the world’s richest greyhound race.
Last weekend, Australia’s No. 1 sprinter justified his rating as an $8.00 ‘All In’ favourite for the TAB Million Dollar Chase (520m), to be held at Wentworth Park in Sydney on October 16.
Contesting a MDC heat (457m) at Temora, Simon Told Helen ($1.12F) defeated kennelmate Snags McKenzie ($11.00) by 6.75L in a near-record 25.83sec. Meanwhile, his litter brother Who Told Stevie ($1.70F) finished third in his heat, beaten 1.5L, to Keenando ($4.40) in 26.06sec.
Burnett now has Who Told Stevie (Box 3), Snags McKenzie (Box 5) and Simon Told Helen (Box 7) in a MDC regional final at Temora on Saturday. The first three placegetters from this ‘quarter-final’ (one of 15 to be staged) qualify for eight semi-finals at Wentworth Park on October 9, with the winners proceeding to the final a week later.
WATCH: Simon Told Helen (3) clocks a
near-record 25.83sec MDC heat win
at Temora last Sunday.
It’s all hypothetical at this point, but if Simon Told Helen were to ultimately land greyhound racing’s ‘millionaire hot seat’, he’d become Australia’s highest stakes earner with around $1.7m.
Obviously, Burnett is taking it one race at a time but was delighted with his trio’s efforts last Sunday – particularly Simon Told Helen as it was his first win on a one-bend track.
“It was their first look at the track, they’ll all be better for the hit-out,” Burnett said.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Burnett couriered his MDC aspirants to-and-from Temora for the heats and it will be the same transportation process for the quarter-final.
Amazingly, Simon Told Helen also heads the leader board for next Wednesday’s sprint version of the Speed Star (525m), to be held for the first time at The Meadows due to the Sandown Park track undergoing remedial works.
“It’s in the plans, but I’ll make a decision over the weekend whether he starts,” Burnett said. “He relies on his early pace and I don’t want to knock him around… The match race conditions of the Speed Star are a different scenario; he could be a sitting duck. However, the million-dollar race is the target.”
RELATED: Speed Star trial file
