Last month’s Maturity Classic campaign at Melbourne’s The Meadows contributed to the sensational 29.36 posted by Shoulders at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
That’s the opinion of the dog’s trainer Anthony Azzopardi, who campaigned in Victoria with a large team for more than six weeks.
“Each year I take a team of dogs to Melbourne for a couple of months and they are invariably better greyhounds when they come back to Sydney,’’ Azzopardi said.
“It’s like someone working hard all week and then having a refreshing weekend away.
“A change of scenery and environment usually rejuvenates people and it is the same for greyhounds.
“Shoulders has always been a very special animal and while his brother Cosmic Angel was originally a bit quicker, he hasn’t taken the next step up.
“But Shoulders has done so and while I expected him to get down to around 29.40 tonight, the 29.36 was a big thrill.’’
Velvet Flame surprised even trainer Andrew Bayliss with the way she handled box eight in her all-the-way win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The keen railer’s eight previous wins had been from boxes one to six but Andrew attributed Velvet Flame’s showing to the fact she is “learning.’’
After Velvet Flame’s personal best 29.84 run on Saturday the trainer was delighred.
“She had box seven one night and began fast but cut to the left sharply and brought herself undone," Bayliss said.
“She jumped well tonight and while she veered slightly to the left she did not do it as much as previously so she is learning.’’
Zambora Magic’s first win in more than three months at Wentworth Park on Saturday night came as no surprise to trainer Frank Hurst.
The dog proved there was nothing amiss with a slick 29.85 stewards’ trial at the track on August 16 and he came out running to win in a blistering 29.49 on Saturday.
“I thought he could win tonight because he was down in grade and was well boxed,’’ Hurst said after the race.
“Although he drew five he had a wide runner outside him and not much pace on his inside.’’
Australia’s next top stayer was almost certainly unearthed at Wentworth Park on Friday afternoon when dual provincial middle distance record holder Space Star made a stunning 720m debut.
The Dawn Garrett-trained dog took his record to 10 wins from 14 starts with a sensational 41.84 performance.
While that time is .31sec wide of Xylia Allen’s track record set in April, they are unheard of figures for a rookie stayer who is just 26 months of age.
Space Star was a shock omission from the National Distance Championship series but his breeder Michael Ivers, whose sister Camilla Limon owns the dog, said on Friday the family had no regrets about by-passing the group one event.
“Space Star is too green to be going into a race like the National Distance Championship and we don’t believe in pushing young dogs too hard,’’ Ivers said.
Asteroid Miss will be restricted to long-distance racing after coming from third on the home turn to win Saturday night’s Stayers Distance Final over 720m at Wentworth Park.
The tiny 23.8kg bitch won first up over 720m at a Wentworth Park TAB C meeting on August 4 before being a certainty beaten when third in a heat of Saturday’s race over 715m at The Gardens on August 15.
“She is a dead-set stayer so I’ll keep her going over long distances from now on and may even take her to Brisbane for a race or two,’’ owner-trainer John Lawson said after Saturday’s race.
“Asteroid Miss was all over the shop in the early stages of tonight’s race but seemed content when she was able to get to the outside of the two leaders.
“She doesn’t like getting crowded so relished being on the outside and going around her rivals.’’
See you next week!
