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Sport Nation
How to tune into Sport NationVeteran Faces Rising Star In Million Dollar Chase Showdown
TheDogs.com.au • October 17th, 2025 9:25 am
Power and Glory, the veteran of the field, and Eriza Sparkles, the youngest finalist, are expected to battle out the finish of Friday night's Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park.
Last Friday Eriza Sparkles led throughout from box six to record 29.17, fastest of the eight 520m semis, while Power And Glory, who grabbed the lead just before the home turn, was next best with a slick 29.22 performance.
But Power And Glory has clocked 29.15 at Wentworth Park while Eriza Sparkles' semi figures were much quicker than her previous best Wenty Time of 29.48.
In Friday's final Eriza Sparkles, who is unbeaten in two starts from box two, will wear the striped rug while Power And Glory, who has won three of eight appearances from box five, will sport the yellow livery.
But bookmaker Mark Merlino, who has been working at Wentworth Park for several decades and has been a long Time rails bookie at Sydney thoroughbred meetings, believes Power And Glory is boxed to win.
"If he had drawn near the rails with the speed dogs like Eriza Sparkles, My Boy Bingo and Canya Sapphire positioned outside him, I think he will have been hard pressed to win,'' Merlino said.
"But Eriza Sparkles and My Boy Bingo, drawn in two and three, will have to contend with Canya Sapphire, who is a fast beginner and good railer, outside them in box four.
"Yet Power And Glory likes the middle of the track and with all the early pace inside him, I reckon he only needs to come out cleanly and he will win.''
Power And Glory was whelped in December, 2021, so is the oldest runner while Eriza Sparkles, an October, 2023 whelping, is the baby.
Trainer Ken Burnett said: "Power And Glory had a few setbacks along the way but I have brought him along slowly which is why he has only had 34 races.
"I'll be shocked if he doesn't come out smartly on Friday.
"Power And Glory's owner Jeff Eastburn has faced some serious health issues but is a lot better now and will be at Wenty cheering on his dog on Friday.
"The only greyhound he had before this was thirty or forty years ago and he had called that dog Power And Glory, so he stuck with that name for this special greyhound.''
Eriza Sparkles' trainer Steve Fitch said: "If my bitch makes the pace I believe only Power And Glory would be able to run her down, and he would have to be within striking distance.''
Foreign Capital's semi-final Time of 29.90 was by far the slowest of the eight qualifying races but he has clocked 29.37 at Wentworth Park and his effort to get up and win in the last couple of bounds last week was amazing.
He almost fell at box rise and part-owner Gordon Sciberras said: "Box one is perfect for him, drawing the rails gives him a real chance of in the final.''
When Without A Trace led throughout to win her heat of the Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park last Friday, she covered the 720m in 41.35, faster Time than any previous final winner has posted.
Victorian trainer Peter Presutto was naturally rapt in her performance, especially as Without A Trace had not previously seen Wentworth Park and was having her first start in over seven weeks.
"All she had going into last week's heats was a 450m trial at Shepparton and a 595m hit-out at Sandown so her run was super,'' Presutto said.
"I couldn't believe how well she handled Wenty first-up, maybe she is going to be like my former top notcher Idolize, who used to race better in Sydney than in Melbourne.
"Idolize won the 2022 group one National Futurity at Wentworth Park and just loved the place.''
In the heats, Without A Trace recorded 41.35, but the race record for the Cup stands at 41.58, posted by Super Estrella in 2022.
Presutto believes Ayden's Warrior, who has box one, could be the pacemaker and may be Without A Trace's toughest rival.
Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Ayden's Warrior, said: "He can show a lot more early pace than he did when he finished third, from box four, in Without A Trace's heat.
"And from box one he can do so, we expect him to run a hell of a race.''
The Lords won the Million Dollar Chase Maiden in 2022 with We Don't Share, and have two strong claims in Friday's 2025 final with Texas Bandit and Bandit Barb.
Texas Bandit, who led throughout to win his heat on October 9 in 29.69, is likely to be sent out an odds-on favourite from box two.
"He is probably capable of some improvement because until the heats Texas Bandit had not been over 520m at Wenty, he had only had a post-to-post slip and a box-to-box trial,'' Andy Lord said.
"But Bandit Barb, who finished second to Zipping Urban in a 29.76 heat, is a lot better than she has shown in her two races so far."
"I named her after Barbara Spackman, who was a part-owner of Little Mother, probably the best greyhound to race in NEW ZEALAND, and gave Barb a share in this greyhound because she has had nothing to race for a long while.''
Best bet on Friday should be Zipper On Time, unbeaten in seven Wentworth Park 520m races, in the GRNSW Young Star final.
Her 520m heat Time of 29.45 was clearly the fastest in the series and she has come up with box one in the final.
Best Bet: Zipper On Time (race 4)Best Value: Calypso Rogue (race 5)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 3, 1Race 6 - 2, 4, 1Race 7 - 3, 6, 1Race 8 - 5, 2$20 for 37.03%
Race 5 - 8, 3, 1Race 6 - 2, 4, 1Race 7 - 3, 6, 1Race 8 - 5, 2$20 for 37.03%
Originally written by Jeff Collerson and published at thedogs.com.au.
