By Peter Quilty<\/p>\n
A Rowsley greyhound and trainer have combined to take out the prestigious Australian Cup.
\nBig-hearted Fernando\u2019s Riot emerged from the shadows of his illustrious litter brother, Whiskey Riot, to claim the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup final (525m) at The Meadows on Saturday night.
\nTrained by greyhound racing\u2019s \u2018man of the moment\u2019, Rowsley\u2019s Anthony Azzopardi, Fernando\u2019s Riot was considered a second-string to his sibling who was all the rage for the prestigious race and was chasing his third Group 1 victory.
\nBut in a surprise result, Fernando\u2019s Riot took out the $300,000 first prize.
\n\u201cI knew \u2018Whiskey\u2019 was gone when he stumbled a bit and couldn\u2019t get across (to the rail),\u201d Azzopardi said.
\n\u201cBut when I saw my little fella (Fernando\u2019s Riot) sitting second, I thought we\u2019re a chance here.\u201d
\n\u201cFernando\u2019s Riot has always been in the shadow of \u2018Whiskey\u2019. If you told me months ago he\u2019d win an Australian Cup, I\u2019d say you\u2019re kidding. But he\u2019s all heart,\u201d Azzopardi said.
\nWhen asked what makes training greyhounds so special, Azzopardi said it\u2019s the thrill of it.
\n\u201cI get up every morning and these dogs put a smile on your face\u2026 I\u2019m so lucky to train these animals.\u201d
\nAzzopardi had an amazing Australian Cup Carnival, winning three of the five Group 1 events held over the past three weekends at The Meadows, with Whiskey Riot taking out the Temlee and Just Terms winning the Zoom Top.
\nWhiskey Riot also took out the Group 1 Melbourne Cup over 515-metres at Sandown Park (November 29).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Peter Quilty A Rowsley greyhound and trainer have combined to take out the prestigious Australian Cup. Big-hearted Fernando\u2019s Riot emerged from the shadows of his illustrious litter brother, Whiskey Riot, to claim the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup final (525m) at The Meadows on Saturday night. Trained by greyhound racing\u2019s \u2018man of the moment\u2019, […]<\/p>\n