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  • Friday, 09 Jun, 2023,
  • by Peter Quilty

‘Rebel’ with a $150,000 cause

Highly underrated Victorian powerhouse Dundee Rebel played ‘renegade’ in the $215,625 Group 2 Flying Amy Classic final (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night.

Dundee Rebel produced a massive upset, saluting at $21 in the $150,000 to-the-winner event.

Bred, owned and trained by 75-year-old Pakenham South stalwart Geoff Scott-Smith, Dundee Rebel was the much less fancied of the three ‘southerners’ in the race.

Jason Thompson’s rising stars, Alpha Zulu ($3.20) and Umberto ($4.40), were also flying the Vic flag.

But Dundee Rebel (Dec ’20 Feral Franky x Dundee Calypso) was oblivious to his odds and in a ‘messy’ affair nabbed Umberto by 0.75L, with local star Magistrate ($11) a further 1.5L away third in 30.10sec.

“It’s my biggest success since Dundee Osprey won three Group 1 finals in 2016.”

Alpha Zulu finished sixth, while SA superstar Victa Damian ($3.10F) came in fifth – albeit only 3L from the winner.

A G3 Launching Pad finalist, Dundee Rebel notched his eighth win (with six seconds and three thirds) from 31 starts. His earnings skyrocketed to $199,360.

Scott-Smith said Dundee Rebel’s win against the odds wasn’t a complete surprise.

“I thought he was way over the odds. His time in finishing second in a heat last week was faster than the other six heat winners.

“And the way the box draw panned out, I didn’t too much about box six. I thought he’d still get a clear run.

“But you can’t predict a win against such a class field and that’s why it really meant something.

“It’s my biggest success since Dundee Osprey won three Group 1 finals (Harrison-Dawson, Topgun and Sale Cup) in 2016. Ironcially, he paid almost $25 winning the Harrison-Dawson.”

Scott-Smith added Dundee Rebel would remain with caretaker trainer Austin ‘Rusty’ Dillon and “have a crack at the (G1) Brisbane Cup”.

Meanwhile, on a star-studded program, fellow Victorian Play Nice ($6) – trained by Tim Britton – showed no ‘courtesy’ to his rivals with a 42.26sec win in the G3 The Dashing Corsair (710m).

It was a big night for the Britton family as Tim also finished third with Wheel And Go in the G3 Carnival Chase (600m) and third with Cash It In in a 5th Grade (600m).

His father, Rob, took out a Free For All (710m) with First Picked ($4.20) in 42.12sec (BON) and also scored with Trooper Tears ($2.50F) in a Brisbane Cup Prelude (520m) in 29.74sec (BON). And he finished second with Trapper Tears in a Brisbane Cup Prelude.

Tim’s uncle, Jeff, landed a Free For All (600m) with Mepunga Warrior ($8) in 35.04sec.

And Jason Thompson received some solace when Stealth ($6) ‘snuck’ away for a 29.94sec success in a 5th Grade (520m).

Peter QuiltyPeter Quilty

Peter Quilty

Peter Quilty has more than three decades of experience as assistant editor of Victorian Greyhound Weekly. He was editor of GRV monthly magazine The Adviser (2001-09) and owner/publisher of Australian Greyhound Monthly. He also served on the selection panel for the inaugural GRV ‘Hall of Fame’ inductees and for several years was an adjudicator on the Victorian GOTY. He’s also published greyhound racing yearbooks and wrote the ‘Bold Trease’ video script.

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