She's A Pearl has become a widely acknowledged name in all three codes of racing but another greyhound with a nearly equally imposing strike rate is recognised only by enthusiastic supporters of our sport.
She's A Pearl has won 16 of her past 17 races but when Mr America won Sunday's State Of Origin Straight Track Challenge at Queensland's Capalaba course he recorded his 15th win from his past 17 starts - all since he joined the Londonderry kennels of Darren Sultana.
Mr America arrived from Victoria in February and after being close to invincible over the 324m of the Richmond straight track, the dog has now toppled Queensland's best speedsters in his heat and final of the Capalaba 366m event.
Mr America will now tackle Saturday week's NSW Straight Track Championship at Richmond, the venue for the culmination of the series with a $25,000 to the winner National Straight Track Championship final on August 27.
Trainer Darren Sultana said: "He is a very good dog indeed and only for striking interference in his two defeats at Richmond Mr America might have been undefeated since coming to NSW.
"Because Capalaba has a drag lure, which runs along the ground down the middle of the track from in front of the starting boxes, Mr America runs as a straight as a die there.
"But at Richmond, where the lure goes around on a rail, Mr America crashes over towards where the lure is positioned.
"That makes him desperate for an inside box at Richmond, one, two or three, as when he draws the other side of the track he charges over towards the lure and is always a chance of bringing himself undone.''
All up Mr America has had 40 starts for 25 wins, five seconds and a third, and while he has won around the circle, over 450m at Ballarat and Shepparton and 525m at The Meadows, it is on a straight course where he truly excels.
Emerald Dancer, bought as a Christmas present last year for 20-year-old Brooklyn Wright, took out last week's Dapto Maiden final and will chase a fifth grade event there on Thursday.
Her grandfather Ken Wright, who came out of retirement to train Emerald Dancer for the third year University psychology student, believes Emerald Dancer will win at Wentworth Park.
"I bought Emerald Dancer at 12 months of age for $6000 and she was bred and reared by Ron Alcock, whose champion sprinter Classy Spider was the NSW Greyhound of the Year in 1990,'' Wright said.
Wright has eight kennels on his property at Appin, but Emerald Dancer is the sole occupant.
Emerald Dancer will lack nothing on the score of preparation, as her trainer has landed 18 group races, including the group 1 National Derby in 2005 with Eiffella and the 2006 Golden Easter Egg with Edie Beauchamp.
