The perfectly-named Wow She’s Fast has been added to an illustrious honour roll after the history-making champion was named Victorian Greyhound of the Year at the 2022/23 Victorian Greyhound Awards.

Wow She’s Fast, trained by Kel and Jackie Greenough at Pearcedale, was also anointed Sprinter of the Year, having been a finalist behind Aston Rupee in both awards the previous season.

A February ’20 daughter of My Bro Fabio and Fair Of Face, Wow She’s Fast raced into the record books when she became the first greyhound in the world to pass $2 million in prizemoney, a figure that remains incomprehensible to many.

Wow She’s Fast achieved the magic monetary milestone when going back-to-back in The Phoenix, the world’s richest race, at The Meadows on December 17, staving off arch-rival Amron Boy in 29.84sec to claim the $1 million winner’s purse.

“I didn’t think I would see it in my time in greyhound racing,” Kel Greenough said.

“But obviously times have changed with these million dollar races and it probably won’t be long and another dog will surpass her.

“The Phoenix night, to me, is now our biggest night. The excitement it creates is something you have to be there to understand it. I’ve never seen anything like it at a greyhound track.”

The Phoenix was one of three unforgettable duels between Wow She’s Fast and Amron Boy in the past year.

Wow She’s Fast also prevailed in the G1 Temlee (525m) at The Meadows on February 11, clocking a flying 29.65sec, and the Sportsbet Showdown ‘match race’ (515m) on Melbourne Cup night, in another sizzling run of 29.14sec.

The Temlee was the second of Wow She’s Fast’s two G1 victories during the year, after she burst into the 2022/23 season last July by winning the Maturity Classic (525m), also held at The Meadows.

After a scintillating 29.56sec heat romp, Wow She’s Fast started $1.20 in the final, odds rarely seen at G1 level in any code, as she equalled the legendary Brett Lee as the shortest-priced Maturity winner with a 29.84sec success.

Wow She’s Fast then ventured to Adelaide where she added the Angle Park 530m track record to her resume when running 29.86sec in the SA vs All Stars Match Race Challenge leading up to the Adelaide Cup.

Wow She’s Fast broke the previous record that had been established by Aston Rupee, her predecessor as Victorian Greyhound of the Year.

Wow She’s Fast’s other Group race title over the past year came in the G3 Shootout (515m) at Sandown Park, where she came from behind to defeat NSW golden girl She’s A Pearl in their long-awaited clash, posting 29.28sec.

Wow She’s Fast contested three other G1 events, finishing unplaced in the Adelaide Cup, Topgun and then at her most recent appearance in the Sapphire Crown on May 15, where she was leading and appeared set to defend her title before going amiss.

In all, Wow She’s Fast was victorious in eight of her 15 starts during the season, enhancing her overall record to 20 from 32, and elevating her prizemoney total to an unprecedented $2.389 million.

Greenough remains optimistic there may yet be another chapter to write before the curtain closes on her magnificent career.

“Hopefully there’s a little bit more in her,” he said.

“She might be finished. I’m not sure. But we’ll certainly be trying to get her up one more time.

“She’s galloped quite a bit at home and she’s almost ready to go to the track. That will tell us everything, but she’s feeling great.”

Wow She’s Fast is the Greenoughs’ second Victorian Greyhound of the Year, having previously won the award in 2009 with another star female sprinter in Cindeen Shelby.

WATCH: Wow She’s Fast (6) wins the 2022 The Phoenix at The Meadows.

CRITERIA GUIDELINES

The Victorian Greyhound of the Year recognizes outstanding performances by eligible greyhounds during the racing year (July 1 to June 30).
The Victorian Sprinter of the Year recognizes performances in races conducted over less than 570m during the racing year.

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