The Evolution Of The Sport's Highest Earners
BAD luck is all that stands between TAB Million Dollar Chase winner She’s A Pearl and the Australasian world record prize money tally.
BAD luck is all that stands between She's A Pearl and the Australasian prize money record.
Her breathtaking win in Saturday night's Million Dollar Chase – her 12th consecutive victory – saw her become the sport's ninth million dollar earner and leaves her just $12,165 shy of Fanta Bale's current mark of $1,365,175.
The prize money record has come a long way over the last six decades.
The first greyhound to win $10,000 in prize money was Roman Earl in 1966.
The 1966 Australian Greyhound of the Year was dubbed "the greatest ever" in his stud ad retired in 1967 with a then record $17,798 in prize money – the equivalent of $233,564 when adjusted for inflation.
The mark stood for less than two years before Zoom Top swept all before him, finishing with $59,032 ($746,000 adjusted for inflation).
Lizrene, Acclaim Star and Tangaloa would claim the mark through the 1970s and 1980s before Winifred Bale became the first to win $100,000 in 1983.
She's A Pearl was definitely the star of the show on @tabcomau #MillionDollarChase night, but the evening was memorable for so many other reasons too… emotional wins, emerging stars… so many happy faces!
What was your highlight from #MDC night??#thedogs #wentypark @FOXNRL pic.twitter.com/4UhtoEA8uD
— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) May 10, 2022
Pretty Fearless raised the bar in 1987 and held the record until the record fell three times – to three different greyhounds in October, 1988.
Whip Tip set the new mark of $105,995 on 1 October 1988, Bold Trease ($106,100) eclipsed it on 19 October and Dancing Gamble went better again the very next day!
Some of the sport's greatest champions – Australian Hall Of Fame inductees Sandi's Me Mum, Highly Blessed, Flying Amy and Tenthill Doll each held the record through the 1990s before one of the greatest of all, Rapid Journey arrived in 1998.
His Melbourne Cup win – his fifth group 1 victory of the year – set a new mark before retiring following the Topgun with $530,995 to his name.
Amazingly, that record would stand for more than 12 years!
The aptly named High Earner would finally set a new standard when winning the Perth Cup in 2011, and with prize money exploding across the country, the record has fell consistently thereafter.
2015 #MaturityClassic winner Fernando Bale is represented by 20 of his progeny in this Saturday's heats!
With 64 greyhounds going around, that is a mind boggling 31.25% of runners! ?
Relive his astonishing win ? pic.twitter.com/ksiP8hTIL8
— Melbourne Greyhounds – The Meadows (@MelbourneGreys) July 15, 2021
Miata, Xylia Allen and Sweet It Is each held the record, and the arrival of Fernando Bale saw the million dollar mark passed for the first time in October 2015.
In March 2018, Fanta Bale won the Super Stayers – a race since named in her honour – and finished with a record $1,365,175 in prize money.
It's a record that has stood for 1530 days but now seems increasingly unlikely to stand for much more.
At just 31 months of age and with the group 1 National Sprint Championship and a second Million Dollar Chase on the horizon at her home deck Wentworth Park, She's A Pearl will not only become the sport's highest prize money earner, but may set a record that was unimaginable in generations past.
Date | New Mark | Career p/m | Greyhound | Held the record for |
26/11/1966 | 10,800 | 17,455 | Roman Earl | 1 Years, 10 months, 18 days |
19/10/1968 | 17,798 | 59,032 | Zoom Top | 5 Years, 3 months, 13 days |
14/2/1974 | 59,170 | 61,208 | Lizrene | 5 Years, 9 months, 28 days |
29/11/1979 | 77000* | 79,000* | Acclaim Star | 0 Years, 1 months, 9 days |
10/1/1980 | 93,165 | 93,165 | Tangaloa | 3 Years, 8 months, 0 days |
1/10/1983 | 94000* | 100,740 | Winifred Bale | 3 Years, 10 months, 26 days |
27/8/1987 | 103,455 | 103,475 | Pretty Fearless | 1 Years, 1 months, 0 days |
1/10/1988 | 105,995 | 105,995 | Whip Tip | 0 Years, 0 months, 18 days |
19/10/1988 | 106100* | 127,600 | Bold Trease | 0 Years, 0 months, 19 days |
20/10/1988 | 107000* | 134,825 | Dancing Gamble | 1 Years, 7 months, 30 days |
31/5/1990 | 136,400 | 272,831 | Sandi's Me Mum | 0 Years, 9 months, 29 days |
30/3/1991 | 273000* | 294,565 | Highly Blessed | 4 Years, 6 months, 11 days |
12/10/1995 | 295000* | 354,105 | Flying Amy | 0 Years, 7 months, 7 days |
8/6/1996 | 359,485 | 382,660 | Tenthill Doll | 2 Years, 5 months, 25 days |
26/11/1998 | 460,995 | 530,995 | Rapid Journey | 12 Years, 2 months, 18 days |
19/2/2011 | 553,795 | 610,070 | High Earner | 1 Years, 11 months, 8 days |
9/2/2013 | 671,008 | 715,508 | Miata | 1 Years, 6 months, 22 days |
23/8/2014 | 722,625 | 743,730 | Xylia Allen | 0 Years, 8 months, 20 days |
21/5/2015 | 818,015 | 944,945 | Sweet It Is | 0 Years, 4 months, 8 days |
9/10/2015 | 1,006,110 | 1,299,370 | Fernando Bale | 2 Years, 4 months, 2 days |
3/3/2018 | 1,365,175 | 1,365,175 | Fanta Bale | 4 Years, 2 months, 10 days |