Finish is key to Ethanol Water’s Nationals assault

By Josh Spasaro

Ethanol Water won’t be fazed by the trip up to contest the National Distance Championship Final at Q2 Parklands on Saturday night and once again she’s expected to flash home.

They were the thoughts of Anakie-based champion trainer Thomas Dailly when asked about his star three-year-old staying bitch ahead of the prestigious feature worth $136,750.

The race is run over 710 metres.

“She’ll be storming home,” Dailly said.

Ethanol Water – currently the top-ranked long-distance chaser in Australia – drew box three for her assignment this weekend.

She has had great success from that lane at Group-level this year.

The experienced runner saluted from there in the Group 3 Fireball Final at The Meadows on July 26.

And, she prevailed from that box in the Galaxy Final at Cannington on March 15, after taking out the Gold Cup Final at Albion Park on January 30.

Both were at Group 1 level.

“I don’t mind her on the rail. I’m hoping she gets out and can position up close,” Dailly said.

“If she gets out and she’s caught out wide, she’s got to use a lot of petrol to get into the race.

“So hopefully she can get into the race a bit earlier from inside.”

Ethanol Water showed an incredible turn of foot to finish over the top of Groovebird for Jeff Britton in the Galaxy Final.

“She’s strong and she’s a good chasing bitch. It holds her in good stead for these sorts of races,” Dailly said.

Dailly said Ethanol Water’s experience – with the most starts and wins by far of any of the runners in Saturday’s Final – would be invaluable in the pressure cooker of a National Distance Championship Final.

She has saluted on 31 occasions from 80 starts for $608,611 in career prizemoney so far.

“She goes everywhere and races everywhere. And, nothing seems to bother her,” he said.

“But, you’ve always got to be wary of dogs on their home tracks, like Tim Britton’s dog Red Dirt Road. They won’t be easy to beat.”

However, Ethanol Water has started just four times for two wins over the past two months.

But, Dailly said he was confident this would keep her fresh for Saturday night’s race.

“She’s had no (injury) issues whatsoever. She’s just getting a bit old. She’s no spring chicken, so I can’t race her too much,” he said.

“But, she doesn’t need to race a hell of a lot – she doesn’t need much work to keep her up there because she’s quite strong.”

Dailly said he was pleased that his brilliant stayer finished second in her last start, the Victorian National Distance Final at The Meadows on August 14, behind Without A Trace for Peter Presutto.

She crossed the line in 42.76 seconds.

It was enough to secure a ticket to Queensland as one of the GCA (Greyhound Clubs Australia) Wildcards, being the country’s top-ranked stayer.

“She didn’t need to win, she just needed to compete in that race,” Dailly said.

“It was good she got through it unscathed and didn’t hurt herself and she’s as fit as a fiddle. So, she’ll be right.”

Ethanol Water is by star Irish sire Droopys Sydney and out of My Ethanol, a combination that Dailly was pleased with.

“Droopys Sydney is a very good sire. He seems to throw a lot of good dogs and My Ethanol throws some good pups,” he said.

“She came from America and it’s worked well. She (Ethanol Water) has turned out a very good bitch.”

The 67-year-old Dailly, who trains 120 greyhounds, said winning a National Distance Championship Final would be one of the highlights of his outstanding career.

“It’d be right up there. When you’ve got a stayer, you’d like to win a race like this,” he said.