Deadly Avenger ran for, and won, $1M in last month’s Phoenix. But when he steps out at The Meadows this Saturday night, he’ll be racing for something far more meaningful.

Just a week after the Phoenix, Deadly Avenger’s trainer Joe Borg was forced to farewell his father George, who sadly passed away.

“The Phoenix was a buzz and a half, but my mind was in two places at once because Dad was in hospital,” Borg said.

“The funeral was last Friday. He’s racing in Dad’s memory now – he’ll be watching from up above.”

Deadly Avenger headlines Saturday night’s Free-For-All at The Meadows (Race 4, 7.27pm), returning after a short break from the racing scene.

Despite the time away, Borg is hopeful Deadly Avenger can make an immediate impact.

“He’s trialling really well and he’s fresh, but he needs some competition.”

The impact Deadly Avenger made in 2025 went beyond prize money and performances. Borg says the dog affectionately known as ‘Jake’ has built a following across the sport.

“There’s a lot of people who follow him closely,” he said.

“The Thompson family are always watching him. I caught up with Jason at Ballarat, he saw Jake and gave him a pat.

“We’ve also had great support from the Withers family, Tom Tzouvelis, Darryl Thomas and Michelle Sultana. It’s really nice to see how much people have enjoyed what Jake’s been able to do.”

Saturday’s assignment won’t be easy, but Borg is taking a measured approach given the upcoming congestion on the Australian feature race calendar.

“Our plans are unclear at the moment, we’ll just take it one week at a time.”

It’s a strong start to the card at The Meadows tomorrow night, with the race prior shaping as a standout as well. Reigning Australian Cup winner Mepunga Tully goes around second-up this campaign, taking on the always speedy Sharapova Star, while Bebop Jazz looms as the x-factor.

In January kids eat FREE at The Meadows – head to melbournegreyhounds.org.au or contact the club for more information.