It might sound crazy, but the fastest heat winner of the Group 2 McKenna Memorial (595m) could start at double figure odds in tonight’s $68,000 final at Sandown Park?

The classy Dream It was the fastest of the six heat winnes last week in 34.172sec, however he is rated at $14.00 chance by The Watchdog behind Australia’s premier greyhound, Xylia Allen.

The Jenny Hunt-trained Xylia Allen ran a marginally slower time in her heat (34.178sec), however she is drawn in Box 1 in tonight’s final and is rated an almost unbackable $1.20 favourite to win.

Brooke Ennis, trainer of Dream It, says The Watchdog is on the money with his market estimates.

“How do you beat a superstar like Xylia Allen? Her run in her heat was massive and she found all sorts of trouble yet still managed to run 34.18sec.,” Ennis said.

“She’s drawn perfectly in Box 1 and the greyhound in Box 2 (Great Spartacus) runs off the track, so I can’t see her being beaten.”

“The reality is that Dream It needs to begins perfectly and lead Xylia Allen by five or six lengths, and then hope that there is trouble behind him.”

Xylia Allen is Australian greyhound racing’s second highest prize money of all time with $634,000, and a win in the McKenna will see her earn another $40,000 towards Miata’s Australian record of $715,000.

Ennis, who has been heavily involved in greyhound racing for the past seven years, holds Xylia Allen in the highest regard.

“She’s certainly one of the best greyhounds I’ve seen in my time in greyhound racing, if not the best. I think she was even better than Miata.”

“Miata was an absolute champion but I don’t think she could do what Xylia Allen has done. Xylia has consistently beaten the best over 500m and 600m, and she also has a track record over 700m (720m) at Wentworth Park to her credit,” she said.

Tonight’s McKenna Memorial is scheduled to run at 9:35pm.
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Pictured above: Xylia Allen winning at Sandown Park. Inset: Brooke Ennis. Pics Clint Anderson.
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REPLAY: Xylia Allen (Box 8) winning her McKenna Memorial heat in 34.178sec
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