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  • Thursday, 04 Sep, 2014,
  • by Greyhound Racing Victoria

Xylia Melbourne Cup Bound?

Leviathan owner, Paul Wheeler, admits that the lure of the TAB Melbourne Cup may be too difficult to ignore for champion greyhound Xylia Allen.

Speaking with RSN’s Winners Greyhound Panel, Wheeler admitted that he is considering racing Australia’s greatest ever stakes earner in the world’s richest race in November.

“I was talking to Jenny (trainer, Jenny Hunt) and there’s a little bit of consideration with Xylia to perhaps drop her back to the sprint and have a go at the Melbourne Cup this year,” Wheeler said on Thursday.

“The feedback I’m getting is that when they trial her over the sprint she runs as well as any sprint dog in the country.”

“To freshen her up and bring her back for something like the Melbourne Cup may be interesting.”

Wheeler admitted that Xylia Allen has lost a little bit of her early toe since stepping up to the staying distance. The plan would be to spell her for a couple of weeks prior to the Melbourne Cup to build her weight back up to cope with the rigours of sprint racing.

Xylia Allen is now three years and five months of age meaning that the end of her career is close. Wheeler thinks the Melbourne Cup could be the ideal way to close the curtain on an amazing career.

“The Melbourne Cup series will probably see her out,” he said.

If Xylia Allen happened to win the Melbourne Cup she would become the first greyhound in history to surpass the magical $1 million mark. The TAB Melbourne Cup is worth a remarkable $600,000 with $420,000 going to the winner.

Xylia Allen competes in a heat of the Chairman’s Cup (720m) at Wentworth Park which also sees arch rival Sweet It Is in competition.

Wentworth Park fields: CLICK HERE

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PIC: Xylia Allen winning the 2013 Macro Meats Shootout at Sandown Park. Inset: Paul Wheeler
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Greyhound Racing VictoriaGreyhound Racing Victoria

Greyhound Racing Victoria

GRV regulates the sport of greyhound racing in the state of Victoria under the Racing Act 1958 (Act), which includes setting standards and ensuring they are met by participants.

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