Call it fate, destiny or chance. In reality it was one of life's sliding door moments that led Peter Lagogiane to $1 million.
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The Sydney trainer had a star called Beast Unleashed in his kennel and was chasing the big races in Melbourne, trekking back and forth each week in early 2018 when good friend and fellow trainer Anthony Azzopardi asked for a favour.
"This girl had done a few naughty things [marring in races] down there and got two tickets," Peter explained.
"Anthony said can you drop her off at the owner's place on your way home.
"I said, 'can I have a go at training her?' He said 'ring the owners', so I called Sandra [Camden-Bermingham], and that's how it happened.
"I took a real liking to her, but when we brought her home she was just really timid, and it took us six months to get her right."
During that six months, GRNSW unveiled the $1 million Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase (MDC), but from his perspective, Beast Unleashed had chipped his metatarsal and would miss the series.
"Unbelievable was my thought when that race was announced.
"How good for the industry, to put us on the map globally, and it did.
"But I didn't have dog for the race."
That was until the girl known as Jules got a start at Wentworth Park on September 29.
"She was second reserve and she got a start, won a fifth grade and ran good time.
"The MDC city heats were the following week, and I said to owners how about we throw her in and they said go for it."
Jules won her heat. A week later she won the semi-final and was into the MDC Grand Final.
"I said, 'Julesy what are you doing to us? We're in the Final'.
"It still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"That whole week, Jodie [Peter's wife] and I had that feeling, there's no words to describe it, but we felt it was going to happen and Jules felt what we felt, and the morning of the race Jodie and I looked at each other and said let's go win it."
Mystic Riot that night won the inaugural MDC.
"And like I said with globally, people from around the world messaged me; Ireland, England, all over South America, South Africa, it is a worldwide sport. These messages showed how popular it is."
Two years later and his phone was pinging with texts again when Handsome Prince took out the Million Dollar Chase, a greyhound he bought for a client, sight unseen because of the name having spent two years in Dubai between 2014 and 2016, working as the greyhound trainer for the Crown Prince.
"We weren't a big kennel back then, we still aren't. We're still normal everyday backyard trainers who have had a little bit of success.
"Of course winning those races is life changing to an extent, but money doesn't make you happy. As long as you have your health and love around you."
Lagogiane has a runner in this year's semi-finals, a dog called Nad Al Sheba, named after where his training facility was in Dubai.
"I was waiting for a good one to come along to use that name. He was the ugly duckling when we bought him, tall, lanky, skinny.
"But he's coming good at the right time.
"And timing is imperative. The stars have to align."
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
