Littermates Primed For Classic Casino Showdown

VETERAN trainer Jeff Ahern is living in virtual retirement on the Northern Rivers of NSW, but from his Casino base potters around with just a couple of dogs in his kennel.

He's been training for more than 50 years and in that time reckons he has seen no better training feat than last week at Casino when Kooringa Lucy downed his own dog Burnt Ends in a scorching 27.39.

And it was a race that sets up an exciting clash for the Fernando Bale x Mitcharlie Mia littermates in Thursday's TAB Million Dollar Chase Casino Regional Final (484m).

The first three placegetters on Thursday will earn the right to head to Wentworth Park for the Million Dollar Chase semis on October 9.

“In all my years of training, I've never witnessed a better training feat than what Mitch Northfield did last week to bring Kooringa Lucy back from injury to blow my bloke away and in a flying 27.39,” said Jeff.

FIELDS & FORM CASINO THURSDAY

She had not raced since April when breaking down at Grafton.

Kooringa Lucy has drawn the rails for Thursday's regional final while Burnt Ends will come out of the eight.

“And, he's got me there as well,” said Jeff of Northfield.

“I'd love to swap the boxes with him.

“Maybe they will be keeping box one for us for the big final at Wenty when we are chasing the million bucks. We can only hope.”

But Ahern also believes such a sensational effort from Kooringa Lucy last week, first up for such a long time, could tell on her this week, the effort leaving her a bit flat.

At least that's what he is hoping for.

Burnt Ends is raced by Luke Mason, a local who bought the pup when 10 months of age.

“Luke didn't have a trainer and the very day he bought him from Mitch Northfield I immediately tossed my name into the hat to take on the pup,” said Jeff.

“He's had a few issues with his wrists over the time but we've fixed that now.

“Johnny Martin broke him in for us and he's the very best in the business. John has educated hundreds and hundreds of dogs for me over the years.

“He said of this bloke that he was ‘a little professional'. That was enough for me.”

The TAB have installed Burnt Ends the $1.80 favourite for Thursday's finale with Kooringa Lucy quoted at $2.35.