Glenn Dainton won the 2018 Group 1 Hume Cup with Black Impala before walking away from greyhound racing to establish a business wholesaling engineering products for the hydraulic industry.

Based at Cosgrove (between Shepparton and Benalla), Dainton had a three-year hiatus from the sport. But you could say, he’s ‘hit the jackpot’ on return.

And the catalyst behind the ‘windfall’ is brood matron Nicky Neo (Jan ’16 Cosmic Rumble x Ruby Ha Ha) – a litter sister of dual G1 winner Neo Cleo. (Ironically, Black Impala narrowly defeated Neo Cleo in the Hume Cup.)

In late June 2020, Dainton had Nicky Neo mated with super sire Fernando Bale.

And from the resultant pups (2 males, 3 females), it has produced middle distance star Dookie Devil and promising sprinter Jackpot Joan, which will contest tonight’s $78,500 G2 Laurels Classic final (515m) – Race 8, 9.10pm – at Sandown Park.

“She’ll stay out wide, she’s very smart, but a lot of things would have to go right to win.”

“It probably didn’t hurt to have a break,” Dainton said. “But once you get into greyhounds, it’s hard to break the habit.

“I bought Nicky Neo not long after she retired, and it was definitely the line to get into.”

Jackpot Joan (Box 8), a $23 outsider, will chase a $50,000 winner’s purse in the Laurels but Dainton isn’t banking on the main prize.

However, she was an impressive 7.5L heat winner last week in 29.62sec – her ninth win (with 11 seconds and four thirds) from 37 starts. She also has three wins and two seconds from five starts at Sandown Park.

“She’s had some terrible boxes, and it’s going to be difficult from the outside,” Dainton said. “The only hope is she’ll give 100 per cent.

“She’ll stay out wide, she’s very smart, but a lot of things would have to go right to win. If we get a place, we’ll be over the moon. She’s probably more a 600-metre dog.”

Between March and May this year, Jackpot Joan had an eight-week racing stint with “Team Rasmussen” in SA.

Dainton says she was lacking a bit of confidence and the decision has paid dividends.

Jackpot Joan is named after Dainton’s 80-year-old mother.

“Unfortunately, she loves the pokies,” he said. “But she loves the dogs, and she loves ‘Sunny’ (aka Jackpot Joan). She’ll be home watching the final.”

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Dainton – who also runs 30 head of cattle and 30 calves per year from his 100-acre property along the picturesque Broken River – advised Nicky Neo will now be retired from the ‘breeding barn’ after whelping a litter of six (five males, 1 female), by Koblenz, on Hume Cup night (November 6).

She also has a litter of six (1 male, 5 females) by Flying Ricciardo – whelped on December 27 last year.

“She’s had her last litter. My daughter, Georgia, is going to take her home to Geelong,” Dainton said. “She’s a lovely animal, with a beautiful nature, and will make a very good pet.”

Pawnote: Dainton also has Dookie Devil – G3 Sir John Dillon winner and G1 Hume Cup finalist – in the heats of the G1 Sale Cup on Sunday night.

WATCH: JACKPOT JOAN (B5) ‘scoops the pool’, scoring by 7.4L in a Laurels Classic heat.