The trailer bringing her to the track caught fire on the M7 but that trauma did not stop the Michelle Sultana-trained Drink Moet recording her personal best Wentworth Park figures and the fastest time of the night on Saturday.
Drink Moet, whose previous best Wentworth Park time was 29.81, notched her sixth win in 16 WP appearances when she led throughout in Saturday's Free-For-All, stopping the clock at 29.73 after posting slick early splits of 5.47 and 13.84.
"My trailer caught fire on the way to the track but luckily a young bloke who pulled up behind me had an esky full of water and managed to extinguish the flames,'' Sultana said.
"When the fire was out he suddenly asked me if I had greyhounds in the trailer and when I told him I did he got Drink Moet, Drink Beer and Pablo Mouse, which I was bringing to Wenty for my dad Sam, out safely.
"I was in tears and was so upset I forgot to get this good samaritan's details so I could buy him a drink or something.''
Drink Beer also showed no effects of the disturbing trip to the races by making the pace to the home bend before finishing third to Jax Kade in a 520m fifth grade.
Second quickest time of the meeting was recorded by the George Borg-trained Dawn Juan, who led all the way to score an easy victory in a 520m fifth grade, clocking 29.87.
By Five Helen earned a crack at Friday night's heats of the group 3 Newcastle Cup at LADBROKES GARDENS when she finished full of running to win Saturday's only 720m event.
The Kim Sherd-trained bitch took her Wentworth Park 720m tally to two wins and three placings from five appearances when she took the lead on the back straight to score by five lengths in a handy 42.48.
"When she found the rails with a lap to go and slid into second spot I knew she would be hard to beat because she is very strong,'' Sherd said.
"The Newcastle Cup will be a rise in class but I can't win it with By Five Helen at home in the kennel so we will give it a shot.
"Only problem will be that I won't be able to trial her at LADBROKES GARDENS before Friday's Cup heats, and she has not raced there.''
Speaking Spanish, who was once "not interested'' in being a race dog, opened his Wentworth Park account after being placed in two of three previous starts at headquarters, by taking out a 520m fifth grade in 30.22.
Mercator Closer led to the catching pen but the Angela Della Bosca-trained Speaking Spanish headed him off entering the back straight and held on to win by a length.
"When Speaking Spanish was being broken in he just would not go,'' Della Bosca said.
"Back then you could not have even dreamed he would eventually win a race at Wentworth Park.
"Speaking Spanish is a 'confidence' dog and those two recent placings at Wenty have done him the world of good.
"He gets a bit tired at the end of the 520m but that's to be expected because he goes so hard early.''
Chrissie Banner notched her fifth Wentworth Park win in 11 outings when she out-gunned the classy Ebby Infrared to win Saturday's third and fourth grade 520m in 29.90.
Chrissie Banner led to the back straight but was headed by Ebby Infrared, who was in front approaching the home bend, before Chrissie Banner regained the lead at the top of the straight.
"She really 'toughed' it out tonight, that was a good effort to come again and beat a dog of Ebby Infrared's class,'' Chrissie Banner's trainer Barry Gibbons said.
Crazy Old Goat gave hobby trainer Andrew Weise his first "official'' Wentworth Park winner when he led throughout in 30.15 in a 520m fifth grade.
Weise won at a Wentworth Park midweek meeting with Crazy Old Goat in July but Weise, who has also trained winners in Queensland, declared Saturday night's success the highlight of his training career.
