Yuko Girl Thrust Into MDC Spotlight

Sam Sultana chose the ideal way to celebrate his birthday, at Gosford racetrack, with his speedy bitch Yuko Girl winning her way through to the semi-finals of the TAB Million Dollar Chase.

Yuko Girl led from box rise and displayed great fortitude to stave off all challengers and win the Regional Final of the world's richest greyhound race.

The victory booked Yuko Girl and her birthday boy trainer a spot in the April 29 semi-finals, along with runner-up Zipping Lopez for Jason Mackay and Modern Talking for Peter Lagogiane, the man with his wife JODIE has already won two Million Dollar Chase grand finals, with Mystic Riot in 2018 and Handsome Prince in 2020.

The Gosford event completed the regional side of the TAB Million Dollar Chase. The series has been to 14 regional locations around the State over the past three weeks, and from those heats and finals, a total of 42 greyhounds have booked berths in the semi-finals.

On Saturday night six city qualifiers will be run with the first two in each also advancing to the semis, and depending on the acceptances of other invitations – all 2021 State and New Zealand Sprint Championships winners were invited into the semis – there is a likelihood that third placegetters will also qualify for the semi-finals.

Yuko Girl dug in to fend off Zipping Lopez & Modern Talking in the @GossyGreys Regional Final of the @tabcomau #MillionDollarChase tonight in a time of 29.22.

All three will now advance to the semi-finals on April 29!

Full Results: https://t.co/fVGAMvmPqO#thedogs #MDC pic.twitter.com/007FWBxQKd

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) April 19, 2022

While both of his daughters Michelle and Kristy have previously had runners in the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals – both in 2020 when Michelle had Drink Moet and Kristy had Flying Ricciardo, who her father handled – Yuko Girl is Sam's first semi-finalist.

Flying Ricciardo reached the Chase final that year, finishing sixth behind Handsome Prince.

Sam joins Michelle in 2022 in the semis as she has also qualified Fernando Hunter, Connections and Space Girl for the April 29 race meeting at Wentworth Park.

On the back of her 29.14s fastest heat win last week, Yuko Girl was sent out as favourite and her supporters may have been a bit anxious early. While she was able to clearly lead, the strong Fantastic Raven got straight to second and loomed large alongside the leader up the back.

But showing great tenacity Yuko Girl staved off that challenge, then held off Fantastic Raven's kennelmate Zipping Lopez to win by 1½ lengths in 29.22s.

"She went really good tonight. I was rapt with the run tonight. She just kept fighting," Sam said of the performance. "When Fantastic Raven moved up outside her I thought she was gone, but she kept going which shows she's getting a bit stronger which is good."