Victorian raiders Lady Toy and My Bro Fabio set Wentworth Park alight on Saturday night - one in a race, the other in a solo trial.
The Brooke Ennis-trained stayer Lady Toy, here for the Group 1 AAA Radiator Specialists Association Cup heats on March 28, led throughout over 720m in a sizzling 41.85, beating fellow Victorian Opec Bale by 10 lengths.
And My Bro Fabio, widely regarded as Australia’s fastest greyhound, produced a scorching pre-Golden Easter Egg trial when he sizzled around Wentworth Park in 29.37, just 0.30 outside Shakey Jakey’s track record.
And while My Bro Fabio is not considered a front running speedster, his sectional times of 5.48, 13.77 and 17.85 were slick while his run-home figures of 11.51 were nothing short of breathtaking.
Greyhound racing fans, accustomed to watching Lady Toy get back in the field in her interstate races, were not the only ones surprised at seeing her jump in front and lead throughout.
Trainer Brooke Ennis’ husband Jamie, who handled the greyhound on Saturday, said later: “As fas as I know Lady Toy has never led in her life. We haven’t had her that long and when she arrived at our kennels her form was nothing flash.
“But she has absolutely thrived and has a great attribute for a stayer, she is a really hard chaser."
Lady Toy has won only 15 from 55 starts but has taken out six of her past 10 outings for Brooke and Jamie Ennis.
While My Bro Fabio stole the trial honours on Saturday, fellow Victorian greyhound Hostile, the minor placegetter in the Australian Cup final, also went brilliantly on Saturday night.
Hostile began poorly and recorded splits of 5.51, 13.94 and 18.07 before rocketing to the finish line with run-home figures of 11.56 to clock a fast 29.63 in his solo hit-out.
Schooner Doll’s all-the-way win in a fifth grade on Saturday night is set to give trainers Beverley and Peter Sweeney their first Group 1 starter in next week’s Golden Easter Egg heats.
Schooner Doll has now had a win and five placings from his past six Wentworth Park starts and while he took 30.03 to win on Saturday, he has recorded 29.83 at the track.
"The Golden Easter Egg is obviously a big step up for him but Schooner Doll is too good a dog not to be given a chance in a race like this," Peter Sweeney said on Saturday.
"And the great thing about him is he loves Wentworth Park."
The Golden Easter Egg "wild card" is set to be Spacecraft after the Lorraine Atchison-trained dog led throughout to score his fifth successive win in a third and fourth grade event on Saturday night.
Spacecraft, who won just one of his first six Wentworth Park starts through bungling the jump, began brilliantly on Saturday to beat I’m Pedro, another Golden Easter Egg hopeful, by three lengths in a personal best 29.69.
Spacecraft had led throughout in 29.73 at Wentworth Park a week earlier when he recorded splits of 5.38, 13.75 and 17.84, but he improved around the clock on Saturday.
Not only was his overall time 0.04 faster, but his sectionals were a quicker 5.29, 13.64 and 17.78.
See you next week!
