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  • Thursday, 21 Jul, 2022,
  • by Peter Quilty

‘Magical Match Race’… Bring it on!

The ‘magical match race’ between ‘million dollar babies’ Wow She’s Fast (Vic) and She’s A Pearl (NSW) has moved into momentum mode.

It took one giant leap towards reality for greyhound racing when Wow She’s Fast’s co-trainer, Pearcedale-based Kel Greenough, was interviewed on radio station SEN on Tuesday. (Greenough prepares the ‘wonder woman’ with wife Jacqueline.)

When asked by Andrew Bensley, on his SEN Track program, “what’s this talk about a match race?”

Greenough replied: “You know the New South Wales and Victorian rivalry; it’s been going on for a long time… We’re up for the challenge.

“We are probably looking at October – maybe the third week in October, but at this stage that could vary.

“You know the New South Wales and Victorian rivalry; it’s been going on for a long time… We’re up for the challenge.”

“She’s A Pearl is an absolute freakish talent and she’s won more money than we have, so it would be a mouth-watering contest and I think a lot of people would like to see it.”

Bensley then quizzed Greenough on a likely venue, “have you worked out where the race would be?”

“Look, at this stage, they’re (She’s A Pearl’s co-trainers Andy and Jodie Lord) keen to come down and have a look at The Meadows, going into the match race, in preparation for the race that’s coming up later. We’ve got a Topgun on probably the week after.

“So, we do have a slight window to say it may work. But in saying that, there’s still a fair bit of water to pass under the bridge.”

Bensley then mentioned, “we often think of match races; are they suitable, are they not? But I think if there’s any code, I think greyhound racing is well suited.”

SHE’S A PEARL ‘sparkles’, getting the ‘chocolates’ in the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.

Greenough replied: “Absolutely, Andrew, it’s probably a good sport to have a match race – especially when you see two females of their calibre… Everyone wants to see a challenge and the interstate rivalry will top it off a bit more.”

Bensley then asked, “it sounds like you’ve been chatting and if it can happen, it will happen.”

Greenough added “both parties have been chatting”.

“We’re both keen to take it on and see where it goes. But you know, it’s good for the sport and that’s probably what we’re trying to do – put the sport out there and gain a bit of profile.”

Wow She’s Fast ($1,068,370) has won 13 races from 18 starts – including a $750,000 first prize in the inaugural TAB Phoenix, along with the G1 Sapphire Crown and G3 Launching Pad – while She’s A Pearl ($1,353,010) has won 22 races from 32 starts, including a $1,000,000 purse in the TAB Million Dollar Chase and G1 Golden Easter Egg.

WATCH: WOW SHE’S FAST (B4) sprouts ‘wings’ in the inaugural TAB Phoenix at The Meadows.

This potential match-up made in heaven would simply be a super sprinters’ ‘Star Wars’!

And now, the sport’s biggest question: can our PR gurus make the ‘Match Race of the Millennium’ happen?

Watch this space…

Pawnote: Wow She’s Fast is a raging hot $1.40 TAB fixed odds favourite for the $100,000 to-the-winner G1 Maturity Classic (Race 8, 8.52pm) at The Meadows on Saturday night, while She’s A Pearl takes on Victorian ‘country cups king’ Ferdinand Boy in a Southern Stars heat (Race 8, 1.47pm) at Goulburn on Friday.

WATCH: NSW superstar SHE’S A PEARL (B4) joins the exclusive ‘million-dollar club’ claiming the TAB Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park.

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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