The Andrew Mathias-trained Pee Kay is looking to make it five wins in a row today at Bathurst when she races over the 307m in Race 2 – the Cystic Fibrosis NSW Stakes.
Before the start of this year, Pee Kay had only managed victories on the Non-TAB circuit. However, in the past month the greyhound seems to have had an impressive turn of form winning her past four starts at Bathurst.
Mathias believes that an extended break and a change in training may have been the key to her recent good form.
"She had a seasonal break from December through to the end of March and I think she's just been a bit more chilled since the break," Mathias said.
"I've changed the amount of work I do with her. Previously, I was working her as hard as a 500m dog but I got some good advice and now I do a lot less work with her.
"That's the only thing I've changed with her recently so I'm putting her improvement down to that.
Pee Kay had a humble beginning to her career before Mathias began training her and he admits that it was a difficult road to get her racing well.
"She was a giveaway dog actually," Mathais said.
"Friends of mine had her originally but she took a fall at Richmond early on and they ended up asking me if I wanted to take her because she wasn't chasing.
"I ended up taking her and got her going again.
"I basically had to re-break her in again but after we did the work with her, she ended up winning a few races around the place."
Mathias is confident of his greyhound's chances at today's meeting and hopes that Pee Kay will bring up a special career achievement for him, as the Lithgow trainer has never had a greyhound who has won five races in a row.
"Box five shouldn't worry her and she probably only has the six dog (Cranky Franky) to worry about.
"But she should have it in the bag and we can win five straight.
"I've never managed to do that before so it would be a big thrill to achieve that."
Pee Kay may only have a short time left in her career before she moves into the next stage of her life.
"When she retires, she will go back to her original owners so they can breed with her.
"Right now we're thinking she will probably retire when she next comes on season.
"My short-term plan in the meantime is to head to Wentworth Park and see what she can do in the city. We were drawn as second reserve there last week so hopefully we'll get a start soon.
"Over the 287m at Wentworth Park I think she will be very competitive."
Mathias hopes to see even more of his small kennel out on the track in the near future, with the trainer touting the potential of one of his other greyhounds.
"I've got three dogs in work now and she's probably the second best in my kennel," he said.
"Another dog of mine Cosmic Sloy is a better bitch. She won two straight at Wentworth Park before getting injured.
"After she came back in March this year she ran some really good times but she's off the track again and has had to have an operation.
"But she should be back soon and when she is she will hopefully win some races as well."
Today’s meeting at Bathurst is the track’s 65 Roses Race Meeting, meaning every time a greyhound wearing the red rug wins a race, Greyhound Racing NSW will donate $250 to Cystic Fibrosis NSW.
The first race at Bathurst jumps at 4:07pm and the full fields can be found here.
