- The owner of a pizzeria has won a lucrative greyhound race
- Jihad Talgi's dog, Schillaci, finished first on Saturday
- The greyhound trainer was emotional after the race
A Melbourne pizzeria owner has become an overnight millionaire after his outsider greyhound won the world's richest race.
Jihad Talgi runs Uncle Drews Pizza in Carrum Downs by day, but he has long had a passion for greyhound training.
After many false mornings, the father of three has finally somehow hit the jackpot, with $23 outsider Schillaci winning the $1.65 million The Phoenix (525 million) at The Meadows on Saturday.
And the pizzeria owner fought back tears as he celebrated his dog's stunning victory.
“I'm just at a loss for words… incredible,” Talgi said after the race.
A Melbourne pizzeria owner has won a life-changing amount of money
Jihad Talgi's outsider Schillaci won the $1.65 million The Phoenix
The Melbournian runs a pizzeria – Uncle Drews – but his real passion is dog racing
'I just love this dog, he means the world to me and I've been waiting a lifetime for him. This is what greyhound racing is all about.
'I'm gonna cry. What a night!'
Schillaci crossed the line ahead of Postman Pat in 29.87. Hector Frawley finished further back in third.
'It's an evening I won't forget. This dog means the world to me,” he added.
'A big thank you to Ladbrokes for maintaining their confidence in us. The fact that you do it for them makes it even more special.'
Talgi had the intuition that Schillaci was attuned to special things. He turned down a $100,000 offer to sell the dog before his first race 10 months ago.
Schillaci has since won 11 of his 19 races at the track.