Major Major Hits SA Derby Jackpot

LONG-TIME mates and greyhound racing partners George Kairouz and Terry Hill were in competition mode on Thursday night after Major Major swept home to win the Group 3 SA Derby (515m) at Angle Park.

“The competition between us was to see who had watched the replay of the win the most,” said George.

“It was a huge thrill and all credit to his trainer Troy Murray who predicted after he'd had only a couple of race starts he was a hot dog,” said George.

Major Major (Fernando Bale-Split Image) is bred to be a Derby winner.

His mother was a Group winner and litter sister to Group star Thirty Talks.

He came from well back to down Exhilarating and Coorong Nugget in a classy Derby line up.

“I rang Terry to ask if he had spoken to Troy about our chances in the final and Terry reported Troy's words exactly as he said them … he'll just win,” said George.

It took Major Major's record to 31 starts for 17 wins and $50,000 in stakes.

He will now go on to the Group 1 Adelaide Cup and kennelmate Golden Night will be set for the same series.

George's wife Marilyn named the dog after pulling two major jackpots on the one poker machine at a local RSL on the night George had to fill in a naming application for the dog.

“We got four out of the litter and this bloke broke in only fair, but he has really progressed with time and racing,” said George.

“He loves it over there with Troy.”

On a great night of racing, the Oaks went to Jane Mcnicholl's Funambulist (Fernando Bale-Weblec Rose) who downed litter sister Sallynoggin with Invincibility in third.

It was Jane's third SA Oaks victory and all from the very same dam line tracing back to her great race bitch and producer True Shadow.

Funambulist took her record to 16 starts and seven wins for $25,000 in stakes with the Group victory.

Just like Major Major, she is bred to be a racetrack star with her mother a high class race bitch.