If favourite Racenight Jenny goes on to win Tuesday’s Ladbrokes Golden Jacket Final, it will surely represent the most remarkable story in the event’s 40 year history.
The Tony Collet trained, Perry Medden owned, black will go into televised decider as an even money chance after overcoming first and seventh bend trouble to win her qualifier by five and a half lengths from Wiki Waki Woo in 45.36.
She has drawn red for a £17,500 pay day and trainer Collett feels, given her amazing history, that it might just be fate that she wins the event for him for the first time.
Jenny is his fourth finalist though last year’s entrant Lenson Pele didn’t even get to compete. A semi final winner, he was withdrawn off colour the day before the final.
Collet says: “The Racenight Jenny story goes back to a phone call I received from Perry, who I had never met, saying he had just bought Jenny and he was keen for me to take her as soon as possible.
“She was running in a race at Limerick and when she arrived in the kennel on the Monday and had not had a good journey over.
“She lost several kilos in weight and we kept her off the track until she fully recovered. When we eventually trialled her, she finished very sore with acidosis, despite the fact that she had only trialled over the sprint at Romford.
“I was a bit mystified as to the problem and when I checked her card, it transpired that she had been off the track for a while. I wondered whether it was related to the weight loss.
“When we spoke to her previous owner in Ireland, it transpired that she had produced a litter when she was only 18 months old. I couldn’t believe it.”
Collett eventually brought the powerful 32 kilo bitch to her full potential and she set the Wimbledon 687m track record in the heats of the St Leger at Wimbledon, only to damage a shoulder in the semi finals.
Collett said: “I was gutted because I know how good this bitch is; she is very special indeed.
“I would have loved to see her take on Roxholme Dream who is a tremendous greyhound in the own right and rightfully collected the top stayers award. But I do genuinely think we could compete against her.
“The draw for the final in one isn’t bad, though she isn’t a bang railer. We actually seeded her middle at Hall Green, but because the race was full of railers, we drew trap six.
“We couldn’t take that chance at Crayford. She goes to the bend in a straight line but from three she can cut the bend.
“She won the semi showing great track craft and having to do everything the hard way. But she has the early pace to lead.
“If she pops out in the final, which I know she can do, then we must have a big chance.”
