It’s been a big week for diehard Collingwood fan, Jihad Talgi.

He was among the ‘full house’ (100,024) last Saturday at the MCG that witnessed a nail-biting AFL Grand Final.

Much to his delight, Talgi’s beloved Magpies defeated the Lions in a four-point thriller! Hence, a record-equalling 16^th VFL/AFL Premiership.

But Talgi’s big week will become massive if his sprint prodigy Schillaci, who he describes as the “Nick Daicos of the sport”, moves into ‘Collingwood mode’ in the $142,750 Group 1 Adelaide Cup final (530m) – Race 10, 10.08pm – at Angle Park on Friday night.

The Devon Meadows-based Talgi, who also runs a pizza shop in Carrum Downs, was initially more intent on espousing the virtues of the Pies’ victory rather than Schillaci – namesake of an eight-time G1-winning grey-coloured equine sprinter of the early ’90s trained by Lee Freedman.

“He’s up in class… But he’s the Nick Daicos of
the sport.”

“When the siren went, it was a relief,” he said. “It was so close; I didn’t know who was going to win, even with 20 seconds to go.”

Call it an omen, but Talgi added: “I also bumped into SA greyhound racecaller Brenton Yates after the game.”

However, it didn’t take long to get on to the subject of Schillaci’s quest for his own ‘grand final’ in the $100,000 to-the-winner Adelaide Cup.

Obviously, Talgi is hoping Schillaci (Jun ’21 Hard Style Rico x Flying Hareeba) produces a Collingwood-like win. But he has another wish: “If he wins, I don’t want a close finish.”

Ironically, $100,000 is the exact figure Talgi has twice refused for his rising star who he also bred and owns. And it was looking like a bemoaning decision when Schillaci sustained an Achilles tendon injury at his second start.

Schillaci, who had emerged as a ‘new kid on the block’ in February, spent four months on the sidelines but has catapulted to another level since resuming.

He has looked every inch the ‘next big thing’ during his SA foray where, thus far, he has picked up the G3 SA Derby and the Match Race Challenge which earned him a ‘golden ticket’ into the Adelaide Cup final.

In yet another ‘Collingwood correlation’, Talgi says the ‘week’s rest’ has Schillaci – a winner of nine races from only 13 starts – primed mentally and physically for his ‘big dance’.

“He’s refreshed… I’ve been taking him down to Seaford beach as part of his recovery program and he’s thrived on that,” Talgi said. “He’s also taken a real liking to Angle Park.”

Talgi advised Schillaci has had three 350-metre handslips up the Cranbourne Straight Track in preparation for his litmus test.

“He also trialled at Sale (over 435m) on Sunday night and went 5.25sec/13.45/24.21, with a 10.96 run-home,” he added.

Schillaci (Box 5) is Sportsbet’s $3.10 favourite for the Adelaide Cup – followed by Victorian compatriots Big Energy ($3.50, Box 3), Transponder ($3.60, Box 1), Mepunga Smokey ($5.50, Box 2), Launch Code ($7.50, Box 7) and Crackerjack Bull ($18, Box 6).

“I’m actually happy with the draw,” Talgi said. “The ‘four’ is not overly quick out and I’m hoping he gets out and is off and gone. My dangers are the ‘three’, ‘two’, ‘one’ and ‘seven’ in that order.

“He’s up in class… But he’s the Nick Daicos of the sport.”

Talgi paid tribute to his former next-door neighbour, Jeff Gorgioski, who played a major role in Schillaci’s amazing return to racing.

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“Jeff helped me every day while Schillaci was recuperating. He did all the laser and massage therapy, and it aided his recovery.

“It’s a credit to Jeff that Schillaci is where he is today. Robert Cunningham has also been a big help.”

Talgi added that it was champion trainer Glenn Rounds  – the man behind a myriad of megastars, including 2021/22 Victorian GOTY Aston Rupee – who was the catalyst behind his venture into greyhound racing.

“I played footy with Glenn at Dandenong South,” he said. “Culver City was my first dog. I bought him as a pup and Glenn trained him.

“My foundation brood matron was Sarah Lindsay, the names of my daughter and son. I also bought her from Glenn and the Daillys trained her.”

Big Energy takes out a Match Race Challenge H2H at Angle Park 📷 Kurt Donsberg

But the origins of the Schillaci success story is the unraced Sipping Girl, who Talgi bought as a brood matron because she was a litter sister to a promising greyhound Rounds trained called Contraband.

Sipping Girl is the maternal great-granddam of Schillaci.

Whatever the outcome in the Adelaide Cup for Talgi and his budding champion, Schillaci – to employ some pizza parlance – is a greyhound ‘topped with the lot’!

Pawnote: Nineteen of the 24 Adelaide Cups staged since the turn of the century have been won by the ‘Big V’.