By Mick Floyd
Wow She’s Fast added another feature race title to her resume with victory in the Bill Collins Speed Star at Sandown Park tonight.
Inclement weather looked to have taken the edge off the clock as Harrison-Dawson winner Rapaki Rocks ran 29.51sec in the first match race, a time that had remained the benchmark as attention shifted to the final match of the night, the eagerly anticipated contest between Wow She’s Fast and Big Opal Rocks.
As she had done a week earlier in the group 1 Sapphire Crown, Wow She’s Fast timed the start to perfection, running 5.10sec to the first mark and 18.65sec to the back – both the best of the series – before stopping the clock in 29.113sec. Big Opal Rocks was gallant in defeat, reducing the margin to less than two lengths on the line and finishing second in the series overall.
Despite weather having a clear impact on times, Wow She’s Fast’s winning time was the equal sixth fastest recorded to win a Speed Star, equalling Hooked On Scotch’s performance in 2019. It was also the sixth time the Jackie Greenough trained superstar has broken 29.20sec at Sandown Park, matching Fernando Bale as the only two greyhounds to have achieved the feat.
Wow She’s Fast has now won four feature races and the $25,000 winner’s cheque ($10,000 for winning the match, $15,000 for the fastest overall time) elevated her career prize money to $1,072,870 and past Mystic Riot into sixth place all-time, remarkable figures for a greyhound still just 27 months of age and with 17 career starts to her name.
Interestingly, each of Wow She’s Fast’s four feature race wins have all come in different race formats. She announced herself as one of the country’s finest sprinters by winning the Phoenix as one eight slot holders; she was held back for the three-week Launching Pad series and was undefeated throughout; she won the female-only group 1 Sapphire Crown in race record time; and has now added a match race title to her mantel piece.
Earlier in the night, group 1 Harrison-Dawson winner Rapaki Rocks won a thrilling opening match over McInerney by just 0.01 seconds, Dusty Bourbski proved too good for Security Man in 29.709sec, and Levitation continued her affinity with Sandown Park by leading all of the way over Aston Tango in 29.554sec.
