Murray's Golden Adelaide Cup Surprise

ALL Troy Murray wanted to do after Golden Night's storming last stride victory in the Group 1 Adelaide Cup was celebrate.

And he had willing compatriots in owners George Kairouz and Terry Hill to help him.

Come Saturday morning the trio were feeling the effects of that celebration after a 29.55 victory to the $6 chance over the $1.70 favourite Catch The Thief with $16 chance Mepunga Isla in third.

George and Terry flew from Sydney to Adelaide for the race.

“And how lucky we are that the border was opened just for us to come and see this race,” said Terry.

George admitted he and Hill were like a couple of schoolboys “hugging and kissing and jumping up and down” when the son of Go Wild Teddy and Hillary rattled home to give the partners yet another Group 1 victory.

Both were high in praise of the job done by Troy Murray to get Golden Night settled and turned into a Group 1 winner.

“Jason Thompson had him in his early days and he was a nightmare in the kennels at the racetrack,” said George.

“If he was in a late race, we just wrote off his chances.”

The move to Adelaide and Troy's kennel, already winners of the Adelaide Cup with Miss Spicy, has been a godsend.

“He can still be a bit of a worry in the kennels, but Troy says he is much, much better now,” said George. “He can still have a bark and carry on.”

Immediate plans are to head interstate for the feature races coming up later in the year.

“The Cup win should get us into the Topgun with Golden Night and Troy is already planning to take he and Major Major to Victoria,” said George.

Rugby league great Hill, who played 246 NRL games, 14 State Of Origins for NSW and nine Tests for Australia, first joined in greyhound racing partnership with George back in 1994.

“Terry introduced me to the great Jimmy Coleman and the three of us formed Coleman's Fresh Produce,” said George.

“Jimmy has been our inspiration in dogs. He's a legend, our version of Bart Cummings.”

It was Hill who planned the mating of long dead Go Wild Teddy with three-times winner Hillary a daughter of Irish star Razldazl Jayfkay and G1 star El Brooklyn.

“It all becomes a bit special when you breed a Group 1 winner yourself,” said Terry.

“By nine this morning I had 40 missed calls from people ringing to congratulate us.”

Hill says Hillary had plenty of ability and is a litter sister to Northam track record holder Channing.

“She has a litter of four by Barcia Bale that will be 12 months in December,” he said.

George admits just being in a Group 1 is thrill enough for he and Hill.

“That was our feelings right back when Fast Times made a couple of Group 1s for us a few years ago,” he said.

“Fortunately, he won two of them.”

Fast Times has recently been sent to Ireland to stand at stud.