Xylia Allen will represent Victoria at the National Distance Championship following her brilliant win in the Victorian final at Sandown Park tonight.
Sent to the boxes a $2.50 favourite – she has started as the favourite in her past 19 starts – the four-time Group 1 winner was a little slow to begin but enjoyed a clear run through the first turn to sit third behind leader Liara Allen and Mepunga Tiara.
Out of the straight, Xylia Allen railed strongly under Mepunga Tiara and set off in pursuit of Liara Allen, sweeping past the lamp lighter approaching the final turn and powering to victory in 41.90.
“Unbelievable. She’s a freak,” was handler Joe Briffa’s assessment after her fifth consecutive victory at Sandown Park and 12th win overall at the circuit.
“I wasn’t confident at all during the week. She had a couple of little issues – I had to work on her all day and night to get her right – and she was still short of her best. Tonight she showed how good she is.”
By winning tonight’s final, Xylia Allen has progressed to her 26th black type final – her 11th at Group 1 level – and will be aiming to become the second greyhound to win the National Distance Championship after claiming the National Sprint Championship.
The $12,000 winner’s cheque took her prize money beyond $700,000 and to within $14,133 of Miata’s Australian record. Xylia Allen will eclipse the mighty Western Australian’s mark if she runs first or second in the Grand Final in Perth.
Joining Xylia Allen at Cannington will be Australian Greyhound Racing Association Wildcard, Sweet It Is.
As the highest ranked greyhound based on AGRA rankings, Sweet It Is needed only to compete in tonight’s final to book her ticket to Perth. However the reigning Sandown Cup winner again showed why she is one of the most exciting greyhounds in the country, overcoming an early check to storm home from last and finish 3½ lengths behind Xylia Allen.
The man most impressed with her effort was her trainer, Darren McDonald.
“I’ve never trained one like her before,” said McDonald, who has put the polish on some of the country’s greatest greyhounds.
“She has an unbelievable constitution. For a dog to win the way she did last week after a 10 week break and on the back of two trials shows how much a freak she is.”
Having already won at the venue of the Grand Final, McDonald is confident of Sweet It Is’ chances of claiming the $75,000 winner’s cheque.
“She’s raced at twice at Cannington and won the Group 1 in Sydney, so we know she travels well.
“As long as she pulls up well she’ll have a couple of trials between now and then and she’ll strip a lot fitter by the time we get there.”
Victoria has an outstanding record in the National Distance Championship, having won half of the finals contested since the race’s inception in 1969, though none since the final was last held in Western Australia in 2009.
The Grand Final of the National Distance Championship, as well as the National Sprint Championship, will be held at Cannington on Saturday 23 August.
Xylia Allen defeats Sweet It Is to win the Victorian final of the National Distance Championship
