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DUAL The Phoenix winner Wow She’s Fast will miss the event for the first time on Saturday night, instead preparing for her second litter of pups. 

The sport’s highest prize money winner annexed the first two editions of the race before running a gallant fourth in what would be her final career start in 2023.

She whelped her first litter of nine pups to Bella Infrared in April, which are being reared by the Hallinans, and is due to become a mother for the second time next month.

FIELDS AND FORM THE MEADOWS ON SATURDAY NIGHT

“She’s the perfect mother, just like she’s done with everything else,” said co-trainer Kel Greenough.

“We haven’t had a scan, but she certainly has a belly full. She’s handling it really well.”

Owner Greg Sprod elected to go to champion Irish sire, the late Droopy’s Sydney, for ‘Sharni’s’ second litter.

Droopy’s Sydney was named Irish Stud Dog of the Year for the last three years with his progeny winning feature races across the British Isles, including multiple Irish and English Derbys.

Wow She’s Fast in full flight at Sandown Park during her decorated career

“The Daillys use him a lot, and we had to buy the straws off George. He bought them off a connection in Ireland and apparently they’re pretty hard to get. Fairly pricey too,” said Greenough.

“The ones they’ve got, they appear to be strong types, they can run 600m and 700m.

“Who knows what she’ll throw, but they might be really strong types. But who knows really, it’s in the lap of the gods with breeding.”

Wow She’s Fast won three group 1s throughout her decorated career, but it was her back-to-back The Phoenix victories when representing slot-holder Sportsbet for which she is best remembered.

Two years after her most recent victory and 12 months since retiring from the track, she remains as popular as ever.

“I actually took her into Sportsbet a couple of weeks ago for a little promo, and they were just rapt to meet her. I wouldn’t know how many selfies she had, but everyone wanted a photo with her.”

While Wow She’s Fast enjoys the next phase of her career, the Greenough-Sportsbet connection will be renewed for a fourth time on Saturday night when Big Energy will take his place in the $1m-to-the-winner showpiece.

Wow She’s Fast won the first two editions of The Phoenix

Big Energy ran a luckless fifth in The Phoenix in 2023 but, despite appearing to lose his way through the middle of 2024, enters Saturday’s race at the top of his game.

“They reached out to us a few months ago about what we had, and I said Big Energy had lost his form,” explained Greenough.

“I said we’ve got a nice youngster (Epitomize) that might be a chance but it’s a long way to say he’s going to be a Phoenix dog.

“Then of course Big Energy comes out and puts a couple of quick ones on the board so they were happy to go Big Energy and they signed him up. He’s getting pretty old – he’s over four – and it’s pretty hard to produce your form when you’re that old, but he hasn’t really lost much.

“He trialled OK the other day, probably got a few things wrong, hadn’t been there for quite a few months, didn’t get the start right, was probably a run short and he still ran 29.63.”

Despite the race’s short history, Greenough believes The Phoenix has already become the sport’s premier event, and not just because of the prize money at stake.

“Growing up in greyhound racing, the Melbourne Cup to me was always the dream race to win. But then The Phoenix comes along and puts that sort of prize money into the sport, how could you not say it’s the race to target and get into?

Big Energy will represent Sportsbet in The Phoenix on Saturday night Picture: Clint Anderson

“I saw some great atmosphere races in the 70s, 80s and 90s, some of the crowds back then were huge. They were giving away a couple cars those days and most of the crowd left when the cars were given away but at least the crowds were big and the atmosphere was huge.

“And you get that at The Phoenix. It’s like you have an extra thousand owners on the night that are all supporting and passionate like it’s their dog and that’s what I think is great about the race.”

And to win the race is a truly life changing event.

“Last year, Talgi comes in and he knocks over The Phoenix with Schillaci, a dog he bred himself and the only one he trains, and it’s a life changing experience for the guy. And there he is again and he could get two in a row – that’s what greyhound racing is all about – the dream that it could happen to you one day.”

Original article written by The Greyhound Recorder’s Mick Floyd 

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