Trainer Jason Magri came away from Wentworth Park on Saturday night with two leading candidates for the up-coming group 2 Richmond Derby and Oaks double after his greyhounds Zipping Optimise and Canya Love Me scored brilliant wins.
Zipping Optimise took his record to seven wins from 13 starts with a come-from-behind win in 29.66, fastest time of the night, while Canya Love Me wasn't headed in her 29.71 victory.
Zipping Optimise looks a top contender for the Derby heats on February 23 while Magri is now considering taking Canya Love Me to Richmond for the Oaks heats on the same date.
Canya Love Me scored one of the most hollow wins seen at Wentworth Park when she cruised over the line nearly 23 lengths ahead of the runner-up Like Luke, who had been skittled at the first turn.
After the race Magri conceded: "I have not had a greyhound win by such a huge margin.
"When Canya Love Me was bowling along in front on the back straight I looked back to see if there were any dangers to her and couldn't see another dog.
"Where is the rest of the field, I thought to myself.''
Slightly slower than Zipping Optimise for best of the night time honours was August Bob, who ran down pacemaker Fire Lighter to win in 29.68.
August Bob's trainer Steve Fitch plans to keep racing his dog at Wentworth Park, hopeful that the greyhound can progress to be a candidate for the heats of the group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg at headquarters on March 30.
In an era when most trainers trial and hand-slip their dogs, trainer David Smart uses old-fashioned methods with Fred's Way, who won Saturday's opening event in a personal best 29.98.
"I've found this dog goes best when he is kept fresh so I don't gallop him between races,'' Smart said.
"I walk him two kilometres every day and on race night I keep him in the kennels when the pre-race stir-up is in operation.
"If Fred's Way hears the lure whizzing around in the stir-up it puts him over the top, he goes crazy, so he has to be kept calm.''
Dogs rarely come back to racing after breaking a stopper bone but Awesome Ethics has done just that and led all the way on Saturday night in 29.95, easily his best Wentworth Park time.
After the race trainer David Smith said: "He is 34 months old now but fractured his stopper bone when he was just 21 months of age so he has done well to come back and win at Wentworth Park.''
Forbes trainer Jack Smith is setting Red Hot Frankie for next month's Ladbrokes Country Classic over 605m at Dubbo.
He would have taken great heart from Red Hot Frankie's bold front running performance to lead throughout in 30.01 in a 520m fourth and fifth grade on Saturday.
And although she only won by a nose in 29.97, well outside her best Wentworth Park figures of 29.75, there wasn't a more impressive win on Saturday than Midnight Spritz's nose success in a 520m fifth grade.
Midnight Spritz, the hot favourite, lost several lengths when trapped outside wide runner Ain't Waiting on the first turn, but stormed home to catch pacemaker Cambridge King to win in a photo.
