Leading trainer Jodie Lord has had a highly successful 2020 but Saturday night's performance of four winners and two quinellas on the 10-race card would take some topping.
The Gunning-based trainer won 520m races with Ritza Donald in 29.86, Idle Ranger in 30.29 and Hooper in 30.36 while she took out the meeting's sole 720m event with up-and-coming rookie stayer Cawborne Footrot, who clocked 42.78.
Ritza Donald won the opening event by a head from his kennelmate Winlock On Top while Hooper defeated another Lord-trained dog Jax Kade by a length.
Remarkably Idle Ranger, Hooper and Jax Kade are owned by their breeder Peter Spiteri and are members of the fabulously successful Oaks Road-Amyjo litter whelped in October, 2018.
Lord was especially pleased with the performance of Cawborne Footrot, who was being tested over 720m for the first time after winning over 600m at Dapto in a blistering 34.19 on October 15.
"He didn't run fast time tonight but Cawborne Footrot got held up for nearly 600m and that was a really determined win,'' Lord said.
"I knew this dog was strong but that was a super strong performance.''
Time honours for the 520m trip on Saturday night went, unsurprisingly, to Flying Ricciardo, who stopped the clock at 29.76 in his all-the-way win in heat one of the Ladbrokes Gold Muzzle Auction Series.
The Kristy Sultana-trained speed machine took his record to 15 wins from 18 starts and lifted his earnings to over $101,000 with a dazzling performance, beginning brilliantly and posting a flying first split of 5.37.
After the race one keen punter commented: "Flying Ricciardo came out under the lids tonight and if he had done that in the TAB Million Dollar Chase he might have won it.''
The other Gold Muzzle Auction heat went to the Charmaine Roberts-trained Rapid Rival, who made full use of her box one draw to lead throughout in 30.23.
Along The Line, purChased just four weeks ago, gave 84-year-old Paul Bigeni a welcome return to the Wentworth Park winner's circle with a powerful win in 30.11.
Along The Line's run home time of 11.72 was the fastest of the night, giving Bigeni plenty of reason to smile.
"I have been buying and training greyhounds since 1968 and I bought Along The Line from his breeder David Pringle, from whom I have purChased several dogs over recent years,'' Bigeni said.
"The dog had his first start for me at Wentworth Park a week previous and ran a good third after being checked at the first turn.
"I'm now too old to be driving to country and provincial tracks, I just went to spend the rest of my days coming to Wenty Park with a handy dog.
"Along The Line broke down after winning his first race at Sandown in April but when David Pringle brought him back to NSW to contest the Million Dollar Chase series the dog broke 30sec in a 520m trial at Wentworth Park.
"Along The Line was unplaced in his Dubbo heat of the Million Dollar Chase but hit the running rail during that race and I bought him soon after.''
Frank Gatt, father of successful trainer Mark Gatt, owns Ritza Donald, who won earlier in the programme for Jodie Lord, but son Mark was not to be denied and snared the quinella as a trainer with Beau Herrera defeating Shanjo Prince in race nine.
Beau Herrera's time of 29.85 was .01sec quicker than Ritza Donald's winning figures, while Strada, who won in 29.98, was the only other winner to break 30sec.
Strada has been trained by Darryl Thomas in NSW for the Million Dollar Chase series for her Melbourne owners, but will return to Victoria this week.
"The owners wanted Darryl to keep Strada but we have a lot of our youngsters coming through and just haven't got room for her,'' Thomas' mother Darrallene, who handled the greyhound, said on Saturday night.
