A commanding win by Keybow in Monday night’s Group 3 Silver Bullet (525m) at The Meadows has unlocked an air of confidence in trainer Darren McDonald, who is chasing a record fourth Melbourne Cup this year.

In 2004, Hallucinate won the Silver Bullet/Melbourne Cup double for McDonald, while Shanlyn Prince did the same for the master trainer in 2007.

And the manner in which Keybow sped past young superstar Luca Neveelk (Gerry Kleeven) to claim Monday night’s $25,000 first prize has given McDonald plenty of reason to think that history can repeat itself.

“He looks a million dollars. He is feeling really good within himself,” McDonald said after the come-from-behind win in 29.717sec over a fast finishing Marcus Joe (Barry Moloney).

When asked if all his greyhounds feel just as good within themselves, the Devon Meadows trainer replied: “not like this.”

Take out of that what you will, but McDonald doesn’t mince his words and, when it comes to his greyhounds, he doesn’t give inflated assessments.

The Silver Bullet was Keybow’s 15^th win from 34 starts, and the 2014 Perth Cup winner took his prize money earnings up to $334,000.

Bred and owned in NSW by Kelvin Lean, the son of Take The Kitty and Key Exit missed 10 weeks of racing leading into last month’s Group 1 Topgun, in which got caught up in traffic and finished sixth.

Right now, however, Keybow is cherry ripe.

And that serves as a warning to fellow TAB Melbourne Cup contenders, who’ll be chasing an Australian record $450,000 first prize later this month at Sandown Park.
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Full results: Click Here
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Watch: Keybow (8) storms home to win the Silver Bullet over Marcus Joe and Luca Neveelk.
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Pictured top: Keybow in full flight on Monday night and later with Darren McDonald.
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Related: Faultless Fabio’s Fourteen Length Romp
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