Easter Egg gives Thompson his third feature win in two days
JASON Thompson has had a massive 48 hours, claiming three group or listed races and over $425,000 in prize money, after Moreira took out the biggest race in NSW, the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg, at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Starting as the $3.20 favourite from the inside draw, Moreira was only fair leaving the boxes, with Knight Sprite (box five) and Asa Killa Queen (box six) taking up the lead in the run towards the first turn. Heading down the back Anthony Azzopardi's Asa Killa Queen got the upper hand, but notable strong chasers Moreira and Brad Hill Billy (box two) were camped right on his tail.
Off the back and Moreira and Brad Hill Billy slipped past the lamplighter, with the race a battle in two from that point onwards. Stride for stride, the two powerhouse sprinters fought out a tough finish, with Moreira going home the better to score by a neck in a fast 29.77.
Knight Sprite ran a cracking race to finish third, five and one quarter lengths off the winner.
It was Thompson's second Egg triumph, having taken out the 2012 feature with Don't Knocka Him from an identical draw.
The win completed a massive two days for the leading Victorian conditioner, who also took out the Group 2 Launching Pad at Sandown Park on Thursday night with the promising Buck Forty and the Listed Easter Sprint with Temlee winner Dalgetty.
Victorian-trained greyhounds took out three of the feature races on Saturday, with the other main attraction, the Group 1 Association Cup, going to Lioness Lulu.
Starting from box eight over the 720m trip, the daughter of Big Daddy Cool and Jackie's Capri pinged straight to the early lead and was never headed over the half mile, destroying the classy line up by seven and one quarter lengths in 42.21.
Whittaker ran a terrific race to finish second, with Dean Swain's Phantom Reign filling the trifecta back in third spot.
It was a fairytale night for Lioness Lulu, which is trained by 22yo Mark Giddings, the victory giving him his first group 1 win, in addition to the hefty $75,000 winner's purse.
Also getting up for the Garden State was Marley Bale which scored a top win in the Group 3 Ambrosoli. The Andrea Dailly-prepared speedster began well from box eight and led all the way to triumph in a hot 29.60, defeating a gallant Black Bear Lee and Bearville Azza.
The other three features were taken out by locally-trained chasers, the first of which was Dean Swain's Tilly Boy which won the Group 3 New Sensation. Showing brilliant early pace from box seven, the son of Lochinvar Marlow and Cosmic Essence went straight to the front and was far too strong in the run to the, defeating Megaladon by half a length in 29.81.
Next to jump was the Group 3 Magic Maiden in which Benteke was the raging favourite after two sub 30 performances in his heat and semi final. When the lids flew open the favourite was spat out the back after an average beginning, with Kay Dee Em taking up the early running from box four. Down the back and Wicked Warrior managed to boot up on the inside of Kay Dee Em to take a narrow lead, sprinting clear to record a six and a half length win in 30.06.
Finally, the Listed Ultra Sense was another exciting event, with Ray Webster's Hugo Boss leading from go to whoa, holding off a late challenge to win in 30.09. The victory was win 11 for the son of Dyna Lachlan and Lagoon Lowanna, with the triumph also taking his earnings to above $44,000.
Watch Moreira's thrilling win in the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg.