There have not been as many impressive first-up Wentworth Park wins as those recorded by Battistuzzi and Lady Jasmin on Saturday night and with Black Magic Opal running good time at The Meadows the stage is set for a sensational opening to the Group 1 Sportingbet Paws Of Thunder series next Saturday.
Despite having never seen Wentworth Park, Lismore trained-Battistuzzi and Lady Jasmin each broke the 30 second barrier while Black Magic Opal is on the way to Sydney following his explosive all-the-way Melbourne win.
Battistuzzi “Lost" the first turn completely yet still clocked 29.90 while kennelmate Lady Jasmin also got wide on the first corner, recording 29.99 after clocking a superior initial split of 5.39.
Battistuzzi and Lady Jasmin have now won 23 of their combined 36 starts, not bad considering their dam Dulcinea was unwanted as a puppy.
Frank and Edith Hancock, who own and train Saturday’s dazzling Wentworth Park winners, was forced to retain Dulcinea and her siblings Pretty Malaika, Chachi and El Toreador when he could not get an offer for any of the litter.
Pretty Malaika went on to win 45 of her 104 starts and $84,000 prizemoney, despite never racing in Sydney or Melbourne, while Chachi took out the 2010 Lismore Cup and Dulcinea won seven of her 14 races before being retired.
Double Twist should not be sold short for the Paws Of Thunder either despite her defeat by Brooklyn Drive on Saturday night.
Double Twist set a new Dapto 520m record of 29.44 on Boxing Night before finishing second in a sizzling 29.79 on Saturday.
Jason Mackay, who won the 2013 Wentworth Park trainers’ premiership, pointed out before the race that greyhounds coming off track record breaking wins seldom score at their next starts.
“The track record seems to take a lot out of them," Jason told me.
Boyce Road will also tackle the Paws Of Thunder heats following his seventh win in nine starts at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
Although Boyce Road has had box two in his two most recent wins, owner Eddie Kingswell is hoping for box seven or eight in the Paws Of Thunder heats.
The brilliant winning times by Blossom Dior and Ay Grade may have surprised some Wentworth Park fans but their trainers were almost expecting their outstanding performances at the Glebe track on Saturday night.
Blossom Dior led throughout over 720m in 42.24.
“She trialled 29.40 over 515 metres at Gosford early in her career but the first section wasn’t there so her future was always going to be as a stayer," Lorraine Atchison, Blossom Dior’s trainer, said.
Meanwhile Ay Grade clocked marvellous splits of 5.38, 13.73 and 17.85 before scoring over 520m in 30.06.
“Because he cramped so badly he failed to finish at Wentworth Park one night I had to trial him before the stewards and over 457 metres at Goulburn he clocked 25.42, a tenth outside the track record," Ay Grade trainer Denice Warren commented.
Ay Grade has now won 11 races and $25,000 in stakes, remarkable for a greyhound that was not too interested in racing early in his career and who was unwanted by other trainers until Denice agreed to “give him a go".
On Friday night, Lagoon Charlotte’s easy Macro Meats Maiden Final win at Wentworth Park on Friday night Was a lesson in perseverance.
The Ray Webster owned and trained greyhound had overcome a bad start and interference to win her heat in 30.89 before making full use of box one to clock a slick 30.22 in the final.
“Lagoon Charlotte was only running 23.20 in trials at Bulli and Richmond and on those figures I thought she’d be hard pressed winning a TAB race anywhere," Ray said.
“I don’t know why, but she has improved in leaps and bounds over night."
See you next week!
