TWO Bendigo greyhound racing identities will be chasing their million dollar dream in Sydney on Friday night.
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Gary Webb and Bob Moncrieff will buckle in for the experience of a lifetime when their greyhound Flying Bazza lines up in the Million Dollar Chase (520m) at Wentworth Park.
Flying Bazza, now trained at Kurri Kurri by top New South wales trainer Jason Mackay, qualified for the final by winning his heat at Maitland on September 26 and a semi-final at Wentworth Park last Friday.
It's given Webb and Moncrieff a one in eight chance of landing the $1 million first prize in the world's richest greyhound race, to be run at 9.35pm Friday.
The pair are still pinching themselves at the opportunity of a massive pay day with the son of champion sire Barcia Bale.
"It's only the second-time there has been a million dollar race, the first being last year," Webb said.
"It's funny, every time you break a dog or a horse in, you come home and talk to your partner and say 'this could be the one'.
"But finally we've got a real good one."
Whelped in June 2017, Flying Bazza has won seven of 14 career starts and been placed five times.
Webb, who purchased the dog from an owner in Warrnambool and reared and trained him for five starts, said the decision to send the dog north to Mackay was made not long after his first win at Ballarat in May this year.
"Because he was a slow box dog, I thought if I took him to the Melbourne tracks that he would get smashed up as he was too slow early," he said.
"I did my homework and thought if he went to Wentworth Park, their first split is about a half a second longer than our first split, and that gave him a good chance to get into the race by the first corner.
"I'd sent another bitch up to Jason a few months prior and he's won six or so races with her. I thought he is a top trainer, looks after his dogs, and has a phenomenal strike-rate, he's the trainer for us."
Mackay will have two starters in the race, including Get It Gizmo, who has drawn box one, and set the benchmark with a 29.45 semi-final win, and is the equal favourite at $4.
While a win would be something beyond their dreams, Webb insisted Flying Bazza ($14 odds) was a good chance of running a place.
"He's not a real good box dog - he's going to miss the start, which can sometimes work in your favour," he said.
"You can avoid a bit of trouble on the first corner and we've drawn close down to the rails (box three), which is what we needed.
"If he's sitting behind the leading bunch going down the back straight he's a chance as he's a very strong dog."
Even a place would represent a good earner for the connections of Flying Bazza, with second worth $100,000 and third $45,000.
Put in perspective, this year's Bendigo Cup, and all other country cups, were worth $47,000 to the winner.
Victoria's richest greyhound race, the Melbourne Cup carries prize money of $435,000 to the winner.
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