Lord Of Darkness finally overcame a spate of injuries to break a track record that has stood for over a decade at Wentworth Park last Monday night.
The greyhound exploded from box eight to lead throughout in the 280m Schweppes Sprint, covering the 280m in 15.96, .02 inside the record set by Ted Pomfrett’s Ballerina Legend in November 2003.
The win gave Lord Of Darkness’ owner-breeder-trainer, former first grade soccer player Jason Matthews, his first track record holder.
Lord Of Darkness is by El Grand Senor from Jason’s former smart short courser Star Callah and is from her third litter.
Her earlier offspring, sired by Big Daddy Cool, included the brilliant speedster Swift Callah, who won an extraordinary 23 of 59 short course sprints.
Although Lord Of Darkness had won only one of five starts going into the race, Jason Matthews insists the dog has always had “loads of ability.’’
“Lord Of Darkness has always been able to run but injury after injury made him a problem dog," Matthews, who has 11 greyhounds in his Albion Park Rail kennels, said.
“I expecTed him to run 16.20 or 16.10 on Monday but must admit I didn’t think he would break the record.
“At his first start in a race at Goulburn Lord Of Darkness was 10 lengths in front turning for home when he tore his stomach muscles.
“There are three other brothers to him from the same litter who are just as quick but they too have had injury problems.
“Only one is named, and that is Aztec Callah, but he tore his hip support six weeks ago and hasn’t yet race.’’
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Priceless is unraced but if performance trials count for anything the Peter Lagogiane trained white dog is among the most experienced runners in tonight’s Macro Meats Maiden heats at Wentworth Park.
Priceless has had four performance trials, beginning with a tidy 30.08sec effort at Gosford in April and winding up with a slick 29.91 run at the same track last Tuesday night.
The dog has box eight in tonight’s sixth heat where he will oppose Jason Mackay’s boom puppy Zipping Saxon, runner up to Winsome Prince in the Dean Industrial Dapto Maiden late last month.
It is a mouth-watering clash with Peter Lagogiane explaining the reason for Priceless, who was whelped in February, 2012, being such a “late starter.’’
“He broke a toe in his first performance trial in April and has since torn ligaments in his toes on three occasions,’’ Lagogiane said.
“Priceless, who was named by my wife JODIE because that’s how she regards him, is one of the oldest maidens in Australia but among the quickest dogs in my kennel.
“He has had a couple of post-to-post trials at Wentworth Park and if I can keep him sound he has a future.’’
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Getting too exciTed in the starting boxes is the hang-up for Forestville trainer Simon Ma’s promising newcomer Funny Bone before tonight’s fifth heat of the Macro Meats Maiden at Wentworth Park.
Funny Bone overcame a moderate start and a bump on box rise to win a performance trial over 515m at Gosford on August 26 by six lengths in a fast 29.83.
Ma bought Funny Bone as a three-month-old puppy from his pal, breeder Michael Nicolaou.
“Funny Bone had got under the 29.70 mark in an earlier trial at Gosford and when she won her performance trial it was a wet night so her run was good," the trainer said.
“She has not trialled out of the 520 metre boxes at Wentworth Park but has had a couple of looks at the track.
“Just the same, I’m not getting carried away just yet because dogs can look promising but until they perform in a field it doesn’t mean much.’’
Among the other hot prospects in tonight’s Macro Meats Maiden are the Beau Hedley-trained Medusa’s Me Mum (heat one), Steve White’s pair Paua To Change (heat three) and Rare Pearl (heat four) and Anthony Azzopardi’s delightfully named No Jockey Needed (heat seven).
Exciting clashes come in heat two with Jason Fletcher’s Fantastic Spiral tackling Luke Azzopardi’s Doozy and Brett May’s promising My Delilah up against Rare Pearl in heat four.
