Sliding Doors Moment Could Hand Qld First MDC

IT is the sliding doors moment that could deliver Queensland its first victory in the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.

Driving home dejected from Grafton last month after Jay Is Jay narrowly missed out on a MDC semi-final berth, trainers Mick and Selena Zammit had all but conceded their assault on the lucrative event was over.

"The plan was to always go and qualify through Grafton and we were both pretty dejected when he misseda place and finished fourth," Mick Zammit said.

FIELDS AND FORM WENTWORTH PARK FRIDAY NIGHT

"We just thought that if he couldn‘t win or qualify off the one box at Grafton how could he possibly win the Million Dollar Chase."

With the rich $75,000-to-the-winner Capalaba Cup fast approaching at home in Queensland, the Zammits were prepared to lower their eyes with the Albion Park track record holder.

"On the way home from Grafton, Selena and I had decided we would probably target the Capalaba Cup with him," Zammit added.

"But at the last minute we had a change of heart and nominated him for the city qualifiers at Wentworth Park. You will never know if you can win it by sitting at home on the lounge."

Fast forward two weeks and on Friday night Jay Is Jay will look to become the first Queensland-trained greyhound to win the Million Dollar Chase when he steps out from box two.

The son of Sennachie does so off dashing heat and semi-final victories, remarkably, both also from box two.

"He has done an absolute treat since the semi-final win," the trainer enthused.

"We will adopt the same plan this week as the past couple of weeks, he‘s an amazing traveller.

"It's a huge thrill to be in the final and Selena and our son Kain are flying down to be there on Friday night."

Jay Is Jay, winner of 17 races from 33 starts and $311,000 in stakes, is a $2.60 second favourite behind Victorian dynamo Postman Pat at $2.20 for the $1m to the winner decider.

"To think here we are running for a million dollars when we were so disappointed after Grafton," he added.

"We could have quite easily been racing at Capalaba last Sunday instead."

Zammit knows Postman Pat will be mighty hard to toss, but has great respect for Jack Smith's Bella Una as well.

He also reports that Kealoah is heavily in pup to her mating to Hooked On Scotch. "She will need to have 27 pups we have so many people wanting pups from the litter."