Cop Magnet, the greyhound who thrives on racing, roared into Saturday night's Wentworth Park semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Flight To The Phoenix series with an upset all-the-way win in last Saturday's Wenty heat.
Having his 12th race in seven weeks, the Andrew Bell-trained front-runner never looked in a danger of defeat as he cruised to a four lengths win over Arctic Kingdom and Romantic Storm in a slick 29.91.
Cop Magnet's task from box three was made slightly easier when hot favourite Zipping Kyrgrios knuckled over as he left box one while Baroque Knight bungled the jump completely from box two.
The win took Cop Magnet's record to 14 wins from 46 starts and lifted his earnings to more than $53,000.
Andrew Bell had bought the dog on behalf of a group of owners for $30,000, and after Saturday's win said: "He thrives on work.
"People might say he races a lot but if I ease him up it takes quite a while to get him back into top form as he goes better racing once or twice a week.
"His early pace is his biggest attribute but if he gets out in front, like he often does, he can beat the really good dogs when they pile up behind him.
"Cop Magnet needs a bit of bad luck behind him like he got tonight, but when that happens he is capable of winning anything.''
Trainer Peter Sims always insisted She's A Pearl was faster than her sister, his Peter Mosman Opal runner-up She's Salacious, and on Saturday she posted fastest time of the night as she led throughout to record her fourth successive WP win.
She's A Pearl began brilliantly from box four and covered the 520m in 29.68, after clocking 30.17, 29.92 and 29.97 in her three previous victories.
She's A Pearl's outstanding figures were followed on Saturday by Peter Lagogiane's Lock Master clocking 29.70 and the 29.85 posted by both Mark Gatt's Ritza Donna and the Darryl Thomas-prepared Mr Ticket.
Mr Ticket had already qualified for next Saturday's Wentworth Park Flight To The Phoenix semis after winning his heat at Gunnedah on November 4.
"I bought him before the Gunnedah race on behalf of a group of South Australian based owners,'' Thomas said.
"They asked me to try and win a couple of good prizemoney races here to help defray the purchase price before I send him across to Adelaide where he will finish up doing his racing.''
Saturday night's sole 720m event, the fifth grade Barbara's Gift Final, unveiled three promising stayers of the future when long odds-on hotpot Zipping Ontario toppled the Adam Campton trained Ziggy Stardust and Zipping Alabama, the winner's kennelmate.
Trainer John Finn has always considered Zipping Ontario the pick of the talented long-distance siblings he trains for the Hallinan family and the son of Zipping Katelyn won comfortably on Saturday in a slick 42.16.
Zipping Ontario had looked desperately unlucky when second to Ziggy Stardust in 42.76 in his heat but both improved sharply in the final and seem set to have bright staying futures.
The unlucky runner on Saturday though was Zipping Ontario's litter sister Zipping Alabama, who was last away and turned sideways on the first corner before rattling home to finish third, nine lengths from the winner.
Smooth Jack, just back from a seasonal spell, broke through for her first Wentworth Park win when she came from third early to win a 520m fifth grade on Saturday in 30.29.
Smooth Jack was sidelined from July 9 until late October, with trainer Michelle Frankland-Shambler explaining: "After the race in early July she came in season and then came into milk.
"But she has come back as good as ever and won first up at Gosford on October 21.
"Then she clocked very fast time in a hand-slip at LADBROKES GARDENS before being a disappointing sixth there on November 6.
"When that happened I decided not to go back there with her but to head for Wentworth Park, where Smooth Jack had run a couple of placings last campaign.
"Wenty is where the prizemoney is and that's where you want to race.''
