Consistency, class and versatility defined Ethanol Water’s 2024/25 campaign and those qualities have now earned her the coveted Sportsbet Vic Stayer of the Year crown.
Across the season, Ethanol Water contested an extraordinary 12 Group races, capturing three majors – the Bold Trease, Brisbane Gold Cup, and Galaxy, where she smashed the track record in a breathtaking performance.
“You add in the fact she won city races in four different states and competed in all the big races – there aren’t too many that do those sorts of things,” Greyhound of the Year panellist Corey Smith said.
Adding further sparkle to her résumé, she won the 2025 Pink Diamond Champion Distance Final at Geelong, defeating litter sibling Ethanol Volume in a display of stamina and spirit that has become her trademark.
The daughter of international bloodlines – Irish sire Droopy’s Sydney and American brood bitch My Ethanol – was bred by George Dailly and proved herself a formidable stayer, shining on Australia’s biggest stages.
“When she’s in a Group race, she goes very, very well – and there aren’t too many that can beat her over 700 metres,” breeder George Dailly said.
Dailly credited champion sires Fernando Bale and Barcia Bale, whose success provided Team Dailly with the capital to invest in breeding – establishing a property outside Ballarat, building the infrastructure required, and creating the financial buffer needed to take risks.
“The majority of bitches in Australia are by Barcia Bale or Fernando Bale, and I believe that everyone is backing themselves into a corner. So, I thought I would go the other way, try the outcross, and see how we’d go,” Dailly said.
Team Dailly’s bold approach in the breeding barn has been widely praised.
“It shows they have a vision for the future – and a dog like Ethanol Water gives that blueprint to people moving forward,” Smith said.
Whether storming home from the back of the field or dictating terms from the front, Ethanol Water’s ability to win in different styles made her a crowd favourite and a standout of the staying ranks.
“Ethanol Water is one of the best pups we have ever bred,” Dailly concluded.