Gatt's Muswellbrook Cup Aim Pays Off

MARK Gatt's shrewd Muswellbrook Cup (571m) assault has paid the ultimate of dividends after landing the quinella in the $25,000-to-the-winner Ladbrokes sponsored finale on Sunday.

In a dashing frontrunning display, Ritza Debra trounced kennelmate Leg Speed by eight lengths to land the feature event and in doing so register a track record run of 32.45, eclipsing the time-standard Leg Speed posted in last week's heats.

Finishing third in the race was group 1 winner Embrace for trainer Craig Chappelow only a further neck away.

In a sense of irony, Chappelow owns the Thirlmere property Gatt calls home.

"Probably not the greatest idea to knock off the landlord," Gatt said tongue in cheek after his Muswellbrook Cup triumph.

"I actually thought Embrace finished second watching the race live so it might be a funny angle. It's great to get the quinella – the plan came off.

It's another track record! ????

Ritza Debra breaks the record set last week by her kennelmate Leg Speed, clocking 32.45 to win the @Ladbrokescomau @MuswellbrookNSW Cup for Mark Gatt! Leg Speed made it a Gatt quinella.#thedogs #greyhoundracing #greyhounds #muswellbrookcup pic.twitter.com/TQH9ZgSRBu

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) February 4, 2024

"The old man (Frank) raced at Muswellbrook back in the late 80s early 90s so to win their biggest race on the new track all these years later is a big thrill."

Now a winner at nine of her 14 career starts, Ritza Debra, a daughter of Flying Ricciardo and Ritza Millie, will be aimed at the fast approaching Country Classic (605m) which culminates at Dubbo on March 16.

Boasting prize money of $125,000-to-the-winner, the series is the world's richest middle distance event and has been a raging success since its inception in 2022.

"That's the plan now – to have her ready for that series," Gatt said.

"To be honest I never really thought she'd get further but after she ran 34.14 at Dapto the other week she changed my opinion.

"We've got a few weeks now until the Country Classic so I'll get her some experience at Dubbo and set our sights on qualifying for that."

While far from convinced his Muswellbrook Cup heroine will stretch out beyond 600 metres, Gatt said that if she does it might very well be at The Gardens, the home of the ‘The 715' – the world's richest staying race – in May.

"If she is to run it then it'd be at a leaders' track like The Gardens I'd say," Gatt added.

"We'll see where she's at then but based on what she showed at Dapto the other week it's definitely something to consider. If they run home in 12.80 or better they can usually run it and she went 12.82 from memory."

Sunday's Muswellbrook Cup meeting, moved to the morning from the twilight slot due to the extreme heat forecast, saw a strong crowd in attendance to celebrate the richest race staged in the track's storied history.