Cranebrook trainer Barry Gibbons achieved a rare treble at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, winning with the only three dogs he took to the track while also having bred and owned each of his winners.
Gibbons took out race one with Venus Banner in 30.10, landed race three with her litter sister Foran Banner in 29.96 and capped a marvellous night by winning with Nando Banner in 29.95.
"Venus Banner and Foran Banner (pictured above) are from the second litter whelped by my bitch Galaxy Banner and Venus Banner has good early speed while Foran Banner is a real tough little customer,'' Gibbons said.
"At her only previous Wentworth Park start Venus Banner drew box seven and got dragged down trying to get across to the rails but she jumped in front from box one tonight and ran a quick first split of 5.40.
Three from three for Barry Gibbons!
"I've always considered Kieran Foran one of the toughest rugby league players around and Foran Banner is named after him because of an incident that happened before she raced.
"My father was taking her to Richmond for a trial and on the way to the track he had to swerve suddenly to avoid a kangaroo.
"Unknown to him, Foran Banner had been smashed into the side of the trailer and had broken a rib.
"She still trialled a highly respectable 18.60 for the 320m in the trial at Richmond but by the time she got home her rib had become very swollen so she would have been in a lot of pain.
"That told me she didn't lack anything in toughness and bravery so I named her after Keiran Foran.
"Nando Banner showed the benefit of a couple of recent 622m middle distance races at Richmond when he rattled home to win tonight.
"The good old trainers used to recommend giving a dog a middle distance race or two if you felt they were down on their confidence.
"So I did that with Nando Banner and he ran second over 622m at Richmond on May 19 and won over the same trip there on June 9.''
Boilover of the night came in Saturday's Free-For-All when the Craig Chappelow-trained $12 chance Embrace outsped and outstayed the great She's A Pearl to win by nearly three lengths in 29.66.
She's A Pearl seemed to be baulked when she was beaten to the first turn by Spring Patriot and at that point Embrace swept around the outside the hit the front going through the catching pen.
After the race Craig Chappelow said: "I was quietly confident that if Embrace could be ahead of She's A Pearl in the early stages she would be hard pressed running my bitch down.
"During the race though I looked back to see where Street Of Dreams was because Embrace was in front of him at Gunnedah on June 11 and he ran us down.
"It's amazing how whenever I take Embrace away to contest a big race interstate or in the country, she always seems to win when she returns to Sydney, back to her favourite track Wentworth Park.
"Tonight's win takes Embrace's earnings to more than $156,000, nothing like the $1.7 million She's A Pearl has won, but for me that's still pretty good.''
While training honours were with Barry Gibbons on Saturday, Kembla Grange trainer Garry Coles also had a big night, winning a double with litter brothers Rebel Garth and Lisdale Road.
Garry Coles and Lidsdale Road on Saturday night.
Fastest figures of the night were shared by Embrace and the Michelle Sultana-trained Fernando Hunter, who each zipped over the 520m trip in 29.66.
Fernando Hunter's win capped a big 24 hours for Sultana as on Friday she took Aston Ulysses to Victoria and landed the $25,000 to the winner Pink Diamond final at Warragul.
Fernando Hunter's owner, crack jockey Brendan Avdulla, could not be at Wentworth Park to see his greyhound bounce back after almost dying of snake bite.
Avdulla is currently riding in Hong Kong but continues to keenly follow Fernando Hunter's exploits.
