- A pizza shop owner has won a lucrative greyhound race
- Jihad Talgi’s dog, Schillaci, finished first on Saturday
- The greyhound trainer was emotional after the race
A pizza shop owner from Melbourne has become a millionaire overnight after his rank outsider greyhound won the world’s richest race.
Jihad Talgi runs Uncle Drews Pizza in Carrum Downs by day but he has long held a passion for greyhound training.
After many false dawns the father of three has finally hit the jackpot in some style, with $23 outsider Schillaci winning the $1.65million The Phoenix (525m) at The Meadows on Saturday.
And the pizza shop owner fought back tears as he celebrated his dog’s magnificent victory.
‘I’m just lost for words … unbelievable,’ Talgi said after the race.
A pizza shop owner from Melbourne has won a life-changing amount of money
Jihad Talgi’s rank outsider Schillaci won the $1.65million The Phoenix
The Melbournian runs a pizza shop – Uncle Drews – but his real passion is dog racing
‘I just love this dog, he means the world to me and I’ve waited a lifetime for him. This is what greyhound racing is all about.
‘I’m going to cry. What a night!’
Schillaci crossed the line ahead of Postman Pat by a length in 29.87. Hector Frawley finished third further back.
‘It’s a night I won’t forget. This dog means everything to me,’ he added.
‘A big thank you to Ladbrokes for keeping the faith with us. To do it for them makes it even more special.’
Talgi had an intuition that Schillaci was set for special things. He rejected a $100,000 offer to sell the dog before his first race 10 months ago.
Schillaci has since won 11 of his 19 races on the track.
