Group 1 Rookie Not Making Up The Numbers

DUAL Million Dollar Chase trainer Peter Lagogiane heads to Melbourne on Saturday with Ava Wine primed for the Rookie Rebel at The Meadows.

TWO-time Million Dollar Chase winning trainer Peter Lagogiane heads to Melbourne on Saturday night with Ava Wine primed for the Group 1 Rookie Rebel (600m) at The Meadows.

And the leading NSW conditioner has boldly declared he's not there to make up the numbers in the $75,000-to-the-winner invitation despite drawing box six with his rising star.

Ava Wine, the Sh Avatar-See Blue's Girl litter brother to Million Dollar Chase hero Handsome Prince, raced his way into the Rookie Rebel with slashing middle distance wins at Richmond and Nowra at his past two appearances.

Last Saturday night the dog went to The Meadows to reel off a slick 34.24 first-look trial to round out his preparation for the race.

“I was happy with the trial,” said Lagogiane.

“It was his first trip away for our kennel and a great learning curve for him because we plan to do a bit of travelling with him in the future.

“There are some nice races coming up around the country.”

Lagogiane admitted Ava Wine did have some issues during the trip and lost some weight.

“But it gave us a plan to follow for the trip this weekend,” he said.

“I've told them down there we are not coming for nothing. We'll give it a great shot at bringing their money home with us.

"He's a dog that just keeps coming along in leaps and bounds."

Lagogiane said the locals will all be hard to beat because of their race experience at The Meadows.

“It is a very hard race to win,” he said.

Lagogiane also reports that TAB Million Dollar Chase champion Handsome Prince suffered a setback recently with a slight muscle tear when trialling a near Richmond record.

“It wasn't bad but it set him back a few weeks and only the other day he had a call up and pulled up well,” said Lagogiane.

“I'll monitor him for the next couple of days and he will be ready to have another call up.”

The million dollar greyhound hasn't raced since dislocating a toe in a heat of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Sandown in November.

Lagogiane, who won the group 2 Launching Pad at Sandown in 2018 with Beast Unleashed, says he is ecstatic to be chasing group 1 glory again.

“It is a good time to be in greyhound racing,” he said.

“The industry has never been in a better position than it is today.”

Ava Wine goes into the Rookie Rebel off a career of 28 starts for 10 wins and nine placings with earning of $46,000.

 

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