Cannan takes aim
Siberia warms for chase at $1m prize
TOP Tasmanian greyhound trainer Debbie Cannan has been waiting for another opportunity to take out a feature race on the national calendar and it looks like she might have found the right dog to deliver the desired result.
It has been a decade since Cannan trained St Pierre to win the 2010 Australia Cup in Melbourne and now she is making plans to take or send her rising star Siberia to Sydney for a chance to contest the rich Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park in October.
Siberia showed his worth with a courageous win in the Tasmanian State National Championship final over 461m at Elwick on Tuesday, defeating a star-studded line-up that included Illingworth Classic winner Wynburn Lethal.
It followed on from an impressive HGRC Breeders Classic win last month with this latest victory taking his career win tally to eight from only 13 starts.
When Greyhound Racing Australia decided not to run the National Sprint and Distance Championship series finals this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Greyhound Racing NSW chimed in.
The NSW body suggested all states should run their sprint series and agreed to include the state final winners in a semi-final of the Million Dollar Chase along with a representative from New Zealand.
Connections of each of those winners are invited to take their dogs to Sydney for the semi-final on October 9 with the winner to progress to the Million Dollar Chase final a week later.
With the chance to compete in a race that offers $1m to the winner it is unlikely any trainers will refuse unless coronavirus restrictions prevent them travelling.
Cannan said she was checking her options in terms of getting Siberia to the semi-final on October 9.
“It’s isn’t every day you get an opportunity to compete in a race that could get your dog into the Million Dollar Chase,” she said.
“I’d like to take the dog to Sydney, but it will depend on what COVID restrictions are in place at the time.
“The alternative is to place him in the care of a Sydney trainer, but we’ll wait until closer to the time to make the final decision.”
She admits Siberia is likely to be an outsider, but that does not faze her.
“The two biggest races I’ve won [Australia Cup with St Pierre and Hobart Thousand with Leeroy Rogue] were with dogs that started at over $20 and I have no doubt that Siberia would definitely be an outsider in the MDC semi-final,” Cannan said.
“Siberia is one of those dogs that keeps flying under the radar because despite his great form he still started at big odds on Thursday night.
“Eventually everyone will start to realise this dog is a super talent.”
Siberia, that celebrates his second birthday on Monday week, is by Barcia Bale from Cannan’s former star sprinter Emerald Lee, that won 22 of her 46 starts.
Emerald Lee was diagnosed with cancer last month and had to be put down but her legacy lives on in her pups.