Mackenna is certainly not an overnight sensation. The daughter of Whiskey Riot announced herself from her debut run as something completely out of the box under the care of Michelle Carruthers. Mackenna did what very few can or could do.Unbelievably winning her first six races with blistering speed and tenacity. Her first start at The Meadows winning by a massive Seventeen lengths had to be seen to be believed.
Mackenna has since been purchased by Giorgio Alvaro for an undisclosed fee, however we can be rest assured it was a pricely sum. Generally when these purchasers are made the pressure on the greyhound tends to multiply. In many instances once good greyhounds are purchased bad luck will strike. As if the money spent is a curse. It's happened in the past be rest assured. For now though, Mackenna does not seem to have that issue.
If there was anyquestion mark on Mackenna's ability it was soon put to sleep when she ran the hands off the clock at Temora during The Million Dollar Chase Series. At just start ten in the final she met the likes of Nangar Larry and Royal Nangar and burnt the clock running 25.41. The track record belongs to She's A Pearl at 25.38. It truly announced that she could be anything.
In week one of the heats of The Golden Easter Egg Mackenna shocked the greyhound world when she stopped the clock at 29.20 in a five length demolition of the field. The enormity of the run has still not sunk in with many greyhound pundits. The great She's A Pearl had a personal best at Wentworth Park of 29.30 at a time when she was seen as the Queen of Wentworth Park. Here was Mackenna at just her second look at the track doing the impossible.
Group One finals just don't get presented on a platter so to speak. They are earnt and generally it's the best dog on the night that takes homes the spoils. From just Sixteen starts for Eleven wins and two minor placings Mackenna has continued to improve and mature at the same time. All the bright lights will be pointed at Michelle Sultana and Mackenna this week. But rightly so, and with a touch of luck she should be taking home the egg with her.
The likes of Zipping Megatron and All Natural will be attempting to rub shoulders with her, however if she shows all of her early zip then Mackenna should hold most other contenders out to the first turn. A win Saturday night will turn the current hat trick of wins into a picket fence. But I'm sure if Mackenna could talk. She would tell us she has done that before.
Good luck to Mackenna and all the other runners ahead of the 34th running of The Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
