Somebody forgot to tell Father Rick he was four-and-a-half years old because Sharron and Ray Webster's veteran not only led throughout to take out Saturday night's GRNSW Puppy Auction Masters at Wentworth Park by three lengths, but he covered the 520m in a flying 29.62.
That was the fastest of Father Rick's 11 Wentworth Park wins and took his earnings to over $310,000.
Greg Board, 73, who took up training greyhounds after retiring from bullriding at rodeos, took out the opening event with Spring Breezing in 30.14.
Board was thrilled to win the Terry Hill Memorial Cup, pointing out that he had known the former international rugby league star through the footy international's enthusiasm for greyhound racing.
"I think I first met Terry at Lithgow dogs and then even bumped into him at the Coonamble October carnival,'' Board recalled.
"I became a greyhound trainer after I won the Australasian Bullriding Championship in 1974 and have not been without them since.
"Spring Breezing is a real homegrown product because I raced both his sire Spring Bridge and his dam Spring Halo.
"When the leading Victorian trainer Jason Thompson was preparing Spring Bridge he declared him the fastest dog he had put a lead on.
"Spring Breezing appreciated being drawn near the fence in box three because one night at Wenty he drew box eight and crashed towards the rails so sharply he almost knocked half the field down.''
Trainer Nathan Goodwin is toying with the idea of taking Saturday night's impressive first up Wentworth Park winner She's A Bumpy to Darwin or Townsville for the Cup series in those far-off centres.
"I think there is a big race win in She's A Bumpy but I'm not sure where,'' the Kempsey-based Goodwin said.
"She badly wants an inside box but managed to carve across from box eight tonight to lead around the first turn.
"When she led I wasn't surprised she clocked 29.99 because I brought her to Wentworth Park on Tuesday night and she trialled 29.76.
"She's A Bumpy was originally owned by her breeder, the late Neil Lyford, and when he passed away late last year I bought her and three of his other dogs from his parents.''
The under-rated Big Thunder gave a start and a beating to top notcher Nangar Larry in Saturday's top grade event, the 520m Ladbrokes Racing Club Stakes.
But after the race Big Thunder's trainer Helen Rylands revealed the dog's owner, her son John Rylands, had originally wanted the greyhound to contest a 622m race at Richmond last Wednesday.
"When we nominated for Richmond we were told Big Thunder was not eligible for that graded race so we decided to come to Wenty Park instead.
"Once we knew Big Thunder would be racing at Wentworth Park on Saturday instead of Richmond on Wednesday, I brought him to Wenty on Tuesday to trial him and he clocked 29.74.
"Even so, I was still surprised he was able to run down a dog like Nangar Larry.''
