The 2023 Australian Cup Carnival ‘exploded from the boxes’ with an “Unmissable” bang at The Meadows on Saturday night.
And a ‘sonic boom’ came from Wow She’s Fast in the $160,500 Group 1 Sportsbet Temlee (525m).
There were ‘shock waves’ around MGRA headquarters in Broadmeadows when Wow She’s Fast – the world’s highest stakes earning greyhound – produced a display of “canine perfection” in the $100,000 to-the-winner event.
Prepared by ‘Team Greenough’ (Jackie & Kel), Wow She’s Fast ($4.50) reeled in tearaway leader Kelsey Bale ($7.00) and then staved off Amron Boy ($3.50F) over the concluding stages in clocking a sizzling 29.65sec.
“This girl has done everything we could ever dream of. We love her; she’s one in a million.”
In the final analysis, she had 0.3L to spare over Amron Boy – which she also narrowly defeated in winning her second successive The Phoenix – with Kelsey Bale a further 1.6L away third.
“I’m pretty overwhelmed after watching that,” Kel Greenough said. “What a great field it was.
“This girl has done everything we could ever dream of. We love her; she’s one in a million.”
Now a three-time G1 winner – from five G1 outings – Wow She’s Fast registered her 19th win from 28 starts. Her stakes spiralled to an unfathomable $2,361,370. It was also her fifth win from six starts over 525m at The Meadows.
Wow She’s Fast supplied the Greenoughs with their third Temlee trophy, having won with Hotline Hero (2004) and High Earner (2011). They also finished second with Paw Licking in 2014.
But spare a thought for Amron Boy’s trainer, Brooke Ennis, who has won the Temlee twice – My Bro Fabio (2015), ironically the sire of Wow She’s Fast, and Barooga Brett (2019).
In a G1 triple header that ‘reverberated’ with excitement on Night One of the ACC, Stagger Out Lee took out the $121,500 Sportsbet Zoom Top (730m) and Dookie Devil won the $121,500 Sportsbet Rookie Rebel (600m). Both greyhounds landed a $75,000 first prize.
NSW staying siren Stagger Out Lee strutted her stuff in the Zoom Top.
Trained by 24-year-old Jack Strutt, who is finalising a six-year double degree (Bachelor of Economics/Finance, and Bachelor of Laws) at the University of Wollongong, Stagger Out Lee returned to her staggering best.
Starting at the ‘staggering’ odds of $21.60, Stagger Out Lee produced her customary barnstorming finish to defeat Moraine Suzie ($4.00) by 1.8L in 42.64sec. NSW compatriot Cawbourne Magic ($3.20F), which finished second to Stagger Out Lee in last year’s G1 Bold Trease, was a further 0.8L away third.
It was her 11th win (with 16 seconds and nine thirds) from 57 starts and her stakes jumped to $268,200.
Stagger Out Lee is the second longest-priced winner of the Zoom Top since its inception in 2003, behind Cheetah Zorro ($42.30) in 2014.
She joined NSW counterparts Irinka Barbie (2004), Miss Grub (2007), and Just Terms (2020) on the Zoom Top honour roll.
Meanwhile, Victorian middle-distance star Dookie Devil ‘demonised’ his rivals in the Rookie Rebel with a power-laden 34.28sec victory.
WATCH: “Oh my goodness, what a star”. WOW SHE’S FAST (B2) claims her third G1 victory in the Temlee.
Prepared by Glenn Dainton, Dookie Devil ($5.80) defeated defending champ Jarick Bale ($7.10) by 3.1L, with El Dorado ($14.40) a further 2.4L away third.
Dookie Devil claimed his first G1 at his third attempt, having finished runner-up to Jarick Bale in last year’s Sale Cup and fifth to Aston Velvet in last year’s Hume Cup.
It was his 12th win (with five seconds and three thirds) from 26 starts.
WATCH: NSW staying sweetheart STAGGER OUT LEE (B6) lands her second G1 triumph, taking out the Zoom Top.
He notched his fourth win from his past five starts and is now four from six over 600m at The Meadows. His stakes catapulted to $192,195.
Dainton finished eighth with Bookkeeper in the 2014 Rookie Rebel.
WATCH: Middle-distance marvel DOOKIE DEVIL (B7) gives his rivals the ‘evil eye’ in the G1 Rookie Rebel.
