Garry Edwards has been waiting patiently to unearth his next star and the time may have arrived with Shady Ace.
The fledgling sprinter won her maiden race over 520m at Nowra last Monday by an eye-catching 16 lengths in 29.64.
Shady Ace ran an unlucky third and fourth in a heat and semi-final of the Magic Maiden at Wentworth Park last month and looks to have good ability.
Williams enjoyed plenty of success in recent years with More Space, who won 22 of 52 starts in a superb career, and the 2013 NSW Greyhound of the Year Double Twist.
She won 26 of 46 starts and was one of the state's standout greyhounds of recent years before retiring in July last year.
Shady Ace is back in action at Bulli this Wednesday in the night's third race.
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Set And Match was one of the hottest short course greyhounds around but a mystery illness and a torn hind leg muscle put the now veteran’s career on hold - until tonight.
The John Grief-trained flyer returns to the track After an absence of nearly a year in the 280m Rapidvite Masters Stakes at Wentworth Park.
“Last year Set And Match won the Richmond Cannonball final and then ran second in the Maitland Gold Collar,’’ the Londonderry trainer said.
“But then he took ill and the sickness went undetected for a long time.
“After he lost form I eventually got him back and he was trialling well again but then he tore a hind leg muscle.
“It has been a long process and he has been trialling regularly for a few months.
“But I haven’t nominated him because at first his trial times weren’t good enough.
“It is only over the past few weeks they have improved enough to warrant putting him back in a race.
“If I wasn’t happy with the way he was going I wouldn’t start him.
“But this Masters race is a good opportunity for him to return because he is rising five years of age and the prize-money is better than it would be in a graded race.’’
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Monster Storm, another short course star, completed a recovery from a bout of acidosis to score his 18th win in 33 starts at Goulburn last Tuesday.
Having his first start since December, when he came down with acidosis, Monster Storm showed his customary box speed to lead by eight to 10 lengths before scoring a six lengths win over 350m.
“He got a bit tired but that was to be expected and I was happy with his run,’’ trainer Michael Galea said.
“This dog has not been out of a place since January, 2014, and has a fantastic will to win.
“But he is a funny dog the way he shuffles around when I put him in the starting boxes.
“Last Tuesday he got so excited he somehow managed to put one of his toes in his muzzle but thankfully hooked it out before the lids went up.
“And no matter how much he shuffles around, when the boxes open he invariably flies out in front.’’
Monster Storm’s successful return was a consolation for Galea as the dog’s kennelmate Mighty Hurricane slightly injured a sesamoid bone After striking trouble in his Goulburn.
“He had been flying and had won three of his previous five starts but fortunately the injury is not too serious,’’ Galea added.
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