Miller ‘Hooked' On Hot Silver Chief Prospect

OWNER Ben Miller reckons the heats of Saturday night's Group 1 Silver Chief (525m) at The Meadows have some “ordinary dogs” entered.

“But they are not in my race,” said Ben.

He was referring to hot youngster False Confidence (Hooked On Scotch-Midnight Dare) which has drawn the four box and takes on some star youngsters.

FIELDS AND FORM THE MEADOWS SATURDAY NIGHT

They are headed by WA visitor, Krystal Shinners' boom youngster Electrified, Anthony Azzopardi's recent G3 Great Chase winner All Spritzed Up, Correy Grenfell's royally bred Ike Bale, a debut Geelong winner at his only start, Jason Thompson's recent G3 placegetter Stealth and Brooke Ennis' Blue Demon, coming off a Melbourne Cup heat run.

But, False Confidence, comes into Saturday night's heat off a career of seven starts for three wins and four placings and he is hugely exciting.

Recent slick 29.92 and 29.96 wins at The Meadows for trainer Aaron Debattista have him primed to go close.

“He will be hard to beat,” said Ben. “The four doesn't worry him because he has not had a draw inside four yet.

“We are not sure just yet what box suits him.”

Ben bought the dog from breeder and good friend Dave Pringle.

“We've been family friends for decades and Dave looked after me when I bought this bloke,” said Ben.

“I trained him myself for his first couple of starts. He trialled 29.80 around Wenty at his first look there so I put him through the Million Dollar Chase Maiden series.”

“We backed him from $10 to $4 in the heat and the stewards quizzed me for ages about training him because I had not trained a dog for 10 years,” said Ben.

False Confidence ran third in the final and was then sent to Aaron in Victoria to be trained.

“I had sent Aaron a few ordinary dogs to pre-train and train so I have been saying I owe him a good dog,” he added.

“It looks as though I've finally supplied him with one.”

Only a few weeks ago, False Confidence was not heading towards the Silver Chief.

“He won at Sandown but did not break 30 there,” said Ben.

“But since we have taken him to The Meadows he has handled that track well and broken 30 there twice.

“And it is not an easy track, especially for a big dog like him at 36 kilos.”

Ben Miller is the third generation of greyhound fanatics.

“My grandparents Bill and Peg Miller raced Go Cub all those years ago,” said Ben.

Of False Confidence's chances in the Silver Chief, Ben is optimistic.

“He is a young dog and very inexperienced,” he said.

“He has taken a bit of time to get things right ion his races, especially at the start.

“But he is very promising.”

His upward rise continues the great start to the stud career of Hooked On Scotch.

As well as False Confidence, the budding stud star has Rejuvenate in Saturday night's Silver Chief heats, the hot prospect recent winner of the Group 3 Northern Districts Cup.

Such has been Hooked On Scotch's stud entry, his stud fee will increase to $3300 from January 1.