By David Nagel
The old saying goes that lightning will never strike the same place twice – but Drouin West trainer Eddie Lieshout will need a little bit more convincing if his smart bitch Aston Miley can take out Friday night’s $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup.
You see the 75-year-old has already had his life-changing moment in greyhound racing – and it came almost 30 years to the day – with the purchase of Shining Chariot.
“He was the life changer, he put me on the map, I’d probably be broke if he didn’t come along,” Lieshout said, just days out from the Sandown Park classic.
“He won races all over the place, Olympic Park and Sandown and a few country cups and then he served more than 1100 bitches as well. He basically paid for everything I owned back then.”
Lieshout’s next big moment may be right on his doorstep, with Aston Miley drawing box seven for Australia’s greatest race – worth $420,000 to the winner.
“It would be the cream on the cake if she happened to win,” Lieshout admitted, with a raspy excitement in his voice.
“That sort of money would change things for sure, I might have to buy myself a new Mercedes or something flash like that.”
The daughter of Barcia Bale-Aston Elle, and litter sister to cup favourite Aston Dee Bee, has only been in Lieshout’s care since May, but has made quite an impression on her trainer since taking over the role as the kennel’s top dog.
“She’s the best one I’ve ever put a lead on,” he said.
“She won her maiden in record time at Sale and ever since then we knew we had something pretty special on our hands. She’s got such a beautiful nature, nothing ever worries her and that’s what makes her so special I think.
“She’s fit and firing and you only ever get one chance at something like this. It’s a big ask but she runs like a rocket and you never know your luck in a big city.”
Aston Miley has saluted at seven of her 14 starts, and ran a cracking third in the Group-2 Geelong Cup final back on October 27. She was edged out on that occasion by Bewildering, one of the cup favourites on Friday night.
“It’s going to be tough; there are eight of the best dogs in Australia running around, but we’re in with a chance,” Lieshout said.
“We would love to have drawn inside, but there’s so much pace in the race that being out wide might not be a bad thing. It’s the biggest race in Australia and for a boy from the bush like me to have a runner is just so exciting.”
The Melbourne Cup understandably has top billing on Friday night, but the Group-1 $145,000 Bold Trease will also test the nation best stayers over the 715-metre journey.
Champion stayer Fanta Bale has drawn box three for the final and will start a $1.90 favourite to become just the third greyhound in history to eclipse $1million in prizemoney.
Boom-talent Rockoon has drawn box seven and is considered the main danger, while interstate stars Ebby Ripper and Champagne Sally have also opened at single figure odds.
Box Draw
$600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup Final (515m)
Sandown Park, Friday 24 November, 2017
No Greyhound Trainer Odds
1. Aston Dee Bee Seona Thompson $2.50
2 Kouta Mayhem Jason Sharp $5
3 Chasin Crackers Glenn Rounds $21
4 Raw Ability Anthony Azzopardi $7
5 Up Hill Jill David Geall $10
6 Bewildering Seona Thompson $3.50
7 Aston Miley Eddie Lieshout $16
8 Striker Light Brett Bravo $15
RESERVES
9 Not Available Robert Britton $11
10 Andos Mac Anthony Azzopardi $15
