Pat Parrelli knows what it takes to win the Ladbrokes Magic Maiden after training the 2009 winner Devine Road and he concedes fastest heat winner Princess Killara has a bad draw in Saturday night's $25,000 to the winner final at Wentworth Park.
Princess Killara jumped smartly and led all the way to win her heat from box one in 29.78, .04 sec quicker than the next fastest winner Golden Phase.
But she has drawn box six in the final and Parrelli said: "It is a bad draw but she will run straight to the first turn, I don't think she will want to veer towards the rails straight away.
"And good greyhounds like her have a habit of overcoming poor draws.''
Parrelli's 2009 winner Devine Road took out the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic later that year so the trainer said: "It's too early to start comparing Princess Killara with that greyhound.
"But I'm hoping Princess Killara can go on and win good races and maybe develop into a greyhound in the class of Devine Road.''
Golden Phase is the second fastest qualifier for Saturday night's Magic Maiden final when she will give hobby trainer Troy Halligan a crack at his biggest win.
Halligan, a construction manager for a Newcastle company, decided to make a comeback to training after a break of eight years when he bought Golden Phase as a week-old puppy for $4500.
"I bought her and her brother and although he has not raced yet he broke in faster,'' Halligan said.
"Golden Phase only broke in average but has kept on improving and at her first post-to-post slip at The Gardens, which is two minutes from where I live, she clocked 24.40, which is flying.
"Then in her first 515m trial I would have been happy if she had recorded around 30 seconds but she went like a rocket, clocking 29.56.
"Golden Phase will be my first big race finalist, the closest I got was around a decade ago when I trained Lorella Fire for Mark Moroney and she contested a heat of the National Futurity at Wentworth Park.''
Keith Barnes, the legendary Balmain Tigers rugby league full-back who died earlier this week aged 89, was an enthusiastic greyhound racing supporter.
Keith often played footy on a Saturday and backed up that night at Harold Park to catch or lead dogs out for his great mate Jimmy McGlinn, who trained at Abermain, near CESSNOCK.
He was also a part-owner of a McGlinn-trained dog named Come On Pancho, who once landed a massive betting plunge at WYONG, along with another smart performer, Stripper's Dream.
Keith Barnes even braved the pouring rain to wait in the catching pen to pick up the McGlinn-trained Willa Wontcha when he defeated the crack Victorian stayer Rod's Advice in a heat of the group one Association Cup in 1981 at Harold Park.
Black Aztec, trained by Harry Sarkis, won the other heat and a week later took out the final.
