Australia’s record stakes winner and reigning Australian Greyhound of the Year She’s A Pearl will add enormous interest to Saturday night’s $72,500 Group 3 Shootout (515m) at Sandown Park.
Headlining week two of the $4.1 million Sportsbet Dream Chasers Festival is the $50,000 to-the-winner four-greyhound Shootout, where NSW superstar She’s A Pearl will make her first interstate appearance.
She’s A Pearl, trained by Andy and Jodie Lord, returned to her brilliant best at Wentworth Park last start, clocking a flying 29.34sec, as she broke Fanta Bale’s national prize money record, boosting her earnings to $1,367,970.
A daughter of 2018 Shootout winner Aston Dee Bee, She’s A Pearl has raced only six times since winning the Million Dollar Chase on May 7, spending almost four months out of action due to a seasonal spell and injury.
“She’s flying,” Andy Lord said.
“Her 29.34sec run at Wentworth Park tells you that.
“It took me a couple of months to get her back to where she was.
“We had a few hiccups along the way, but I always knew she’d come back. It was just a matter of when. I was hoping she’d get there before Christmas, with all these big races coming up.”
WATCH: “This is greatness from a champion!” SHE’S A PEARL (B4) careered away with the Million Dollar Chase Final at Wentworth Park on May 7, leading all-the-way in a scintillating 29.32sec.
She’s A Pearl has drawn Box 1 for a mouth-watering showdown against fellow millionaires Wow She’s Fast (Box 3) and McInerney (Box 7), and last weekend’s upset G1 Topgun winner Photo Man (Box 5).
“I’ve never been that keen on travelling, but it’s hard not to with the money on offer and when you’ve got the right dog,” Lord said.
“I was going to book a trial at Sandown and then one of her owners told me she could run in the Shootout. Being a four-dog race, it’s as good as a trial and she gets $7500 for going around!”
A ‘match race’ between She’s A Pearl (25 from 38) and fellow ‘Golden Girl’ Wow She’s Fast (15 from 22) has long been mooted and Sportsbet’s market suggests the Shootout is a race in two.
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With home track advantage on her side, winning 10 of her 12 starts at Sandown, Wow She’s Fast is $1.70 favourite, ahead of She’s A Pearl at $2.25, with McInerney at $14 and Photo Man $23.
“I think she can win, but she needs to handle the track and she needs to lead,” Lord said.
“I don’t make excuses, but I would have liked her to have a look at the track.
“But she’s a chaser. She only knows one thing. She’ll go as hard as she can for as long as she can.
“She’s never raced at a track without a trial since I’ve had her. She’s only raced at Goulburn. Wenty and Temora. She did trial 19.40sec first look at Goulburn, which isn’t easy to do, and that gives me a bit of confidence for Saturday.
“If Wow She’s Fast led, I couldn’t see She’s A Pearl running her down, first look at the track. McInerney is a very strong dog, you wouldn’t want him sitting two (lengths) behind you turning for home either.
“She’s got Box 1, but boxes have never worried me. She won the Golden Easter Egg from Box 5 and Million Dollar Chase from Box 4. They’ve got to be able to win from any box.
“It’s all about how she handles the track.
“The main race we’re looking at is The Phoenix. If she runs well on Saturday, we’ll go back for the Melbourne Cup heats, but she’s got to perform.”
