He’s won the world’s richest greyhound race, The Phoenix, but the race Jihad Talgi most wants to win is the Melbourne Cup.

Now he’s got a real, live chance after Schillaci wound back to the clock to claim his Melbourne Cup heat in a slick 29.214.

“It’s been a lot of pressure, I’ll be honest with you, a dog as good as him, every time you bring him out he’s got to perform,” an emotional Talgi told Jason Adams on Racing.com.

“I said all along, this dog’s going better than last year. He just needs luck in the box. We did some things during the week, we did some box work … the Melbourne Cup, I can’t believe it, I’m gonna cry.”

Schillaci – nor Talgi for that matter – is yet to win a group 1, but went close in the Australian Cup earlier this year, running second to Tim Zoo. He also finished fourth in the 2023 Topgun, and is twice unplaced in two other group 1 attempts.

Before the box draw, Talgi said he wanted an odd number box for Schillaci in the Cup final. At the draw, he drew box three.

He won’t have it easy in next week’s final however, which is littered with star power.

Explicit (box six for the final) clocked a sharp 29.051 to stamp his credentials, while Sunset Frazier (box four) was the shock of the night, winning in 28.996.

Big Energy (box seven) also continued his scintillating form, claiming Stormy Day in the home straight to win the final heat of the night.

Buddy Monelli (box eight), Joey The Jet (box one), Epitomize (box 2) and Miss Envy (box five) also booked their tickets into the classic, worth $500,000 to the winner.