Jason Magri's electrifying 22-month-old sprinter Zipping Megatron is the talk of the town after successive 29.42 and 29.44 Wentworth Park winning romps but Mia Magnifico is garnering similar rave reviews after her debut win at Dapto last Thursday night.
Owned and trained by Neville Brown, Mia Magnifico led throughout from box four to win over 520m in 29.52, the third fastest time ever posted by a maiden at Dapto.
Brown takes up the story: "I was telling Tracey and Frank how I had gone to the expense and trouble of breeding three litters of pups which turned out hopeless as racing propositions.
"When I finished my whinge Tracey said I needed to have a pup to go on with and she and Frank offered me a 12 week old bitch they had bred by Fernando Bale from their outstanding producer Good Odds Meghan.
"These pups were worth around $20,000 each so it was an extremely generous gesture on their part.
"That pup, named Mia Magnifico, broke in well but her race debut was delayed because she came in season.
"Actually I was glad of that little setback because she tended to be very flighty and I felt a seasonal spell would do her the world of good before she began her career on the track.''
Dapto specialist, the Mark Gatt-trained Leg Speed, was widely credited with being the fastest 520m maiden winner there when he won in 29.62 on January 19 yet Mia Magnifico was able to go the equivalent of a length-and-a-half faster last Thursday.
Of course, Mia Magnifico is among many classy greyhounds that have been gifts from one owner to another.
Has there ever been another sport where participants, who are often rivals on the racetrack, go out of their way to help each other?
John Finn, who passed away on Monday aged 81, was the catalyst for Jack Smith, who prepared champions Feral Franky, Jungle Deuce and Miss Ezmae, becoming a greyhound trainer.
"John was my uncle and in the early 70s when he came to live with my family in FORBES his influence had me switching from horses to dogs,'' Smith said.
"My father Ronnie had died when I was 12 and while horses had always been my passion my family could no longer afford to keep them so my thoughts of becoming a racehorse trainer were dashed.
"Uncle John had lived with the Pringle family at Clergate and through him, I started getting some of their greyhounds while I also reared and educated a dog called History Lesson.
"Uncle John trained History Lesson for me and after he won 30 of 71 races between 1998 and 2000 I wanted to breed a litter from him.
"I borrowed a bitch called Jackie Rooster from Geoff Curtale at Cowra and her mating to History Lesson produced Irinka Barbie, who was owned by my wife Maree and trained by uncle John.
"Irinka Barbie won the 2004 NSW Greyhound of the Year award after winning the group one Association Cup in race record time.''
The rest, as they say, is history, with Jack Smith now recognised as being among Australia's leading trainers.
Media Ban won the 2013 Bankstown City Cup at Potts Park for the late Ron Field and on Friday the similarly named Total Media Ban goes into Casino's Pop Northfield Memorial final as the fastest heat winner.
Trained by Julie King for his breeder, Sydneysider Charlie Riccio, Total Media Ban won his 411m heat in 23.21.
Three of the six heats were taken out by local trainer Reg Gardoll and his son Craig, with Lil Miss Miles in 23.28, Son Of Sennachie (23.33), and Indefatigable in 23.65.
Reg Gardoll plumps for Son Of Sennachie as his best prospect of snaring the $10,000 first prize.
