Dusty Moonshine shrugged off what trainer Denice Warren described as “at first glance a disappointing run’’ in Xylia Allen’s Chairman’s Cup heat by breaking a five-year-old track record at Dapto on Friday night.
The exciting stayer broke the Dapto 729m record set in 2009 by John Heard’s great stayer Forty Twenty when she won the Ray White Real Estate Stakes and now has her trainer scanning the distance race calendar for the rest of 2014.
She now has 10 wins from 18 starts and seems to be back to her best after that recent below-par showing in the Group 3 race at Wentworth Park.
“I’m relieved she went so well at Dapto because I was disappointed with her sixth to Xylia Allen in a Chairman’s Cup heat at Wenty on September 6,’’ Goulburn-based Warren said.
“In hindsight I might have been a bit hard on her because she jumped well from box two but the dog in box one collided with her and then Xylia Allen, who went straight to the lead, cut her off.
“Dusty Moonshine broke 42 seconds at her first three Wentworth Park 720m races but dogs like Xylia Allen represent a big step up in class.
“My bitch had never seen Dapto before Friday’s win but that didn’t worry me going into the race because she goes well first up on a track."
Warren is now eyeing some forthcoming bigger races for her greyhound, who has already secured three wins at Wentworth Park in her brief but exciting career.
“There are a couple of Group 3 Wentworth Park 720m races before the end of the year," Warren said.
"I might even take Dusty Moonshine to Melbourne for a graded long distance event to get her acquainted with Sandown and The Meadows.’’
Meanwhile, another standout performer at Dapto was highly promising Whittaker, who secured a fourth win in fifth starts with a strong 29.71 run in the South Coast Challenge Sprint Event Series Final (520m).
Co-trainer Bruce Fletcher said he will now aim the greyhound, who looks a future potential star, for Bulli or Wentworth Park over the coming weeks.
Fast-improving Derenger is another greyhound on the rise and recorded a third consecutive win with victory in the Dapto Supporters Club Sprint Series Final (520m).
Trained by Christine Oldfield, Derenger is one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
