Boom greyhound Cleanser should resume trialling in a fortnight following his defeat at his Wentworth Park debut on May 11.
After a sensational all-the-way maiden win at Dapto in near record time of 29.50 on April 9 trainer Garry Williams gave Cleanser a thorough preparation for his first city appearance.
The dog was hand-slipped from post-to-post at Wentworth Park and then broke 30 seconds in a 520m trial.
"I said at the time that the dog had not set the world on fire in his hit-outs at Wenty because although he got under 30 seconds, on what he has shown me in Private I think he is capable of becoming a 29.50 or even 29.40 dog at the track," Williams said.
The knockers were out in force though after Cleanser’s Wentworth Park performance when he finished down the track.
"After he finished sixth on May 11 I got him X-rayed and while there was nothing broken he had what can only be described as the equivalent to a young thoroughbred getting shin soreness," Williams said.
"Once Cleanser warms up he is fine but in the early stages of his races he is not himself.
"It is disappointing but time is on his side because he doesn’t turn two until September."
Despite his Wentworth Park debut it should be remembered the youngster bungled the start from box five and after showing pace was skittled at the first turn and put out of contention by a wide runner.
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There have not been many more impressive first up middle distance performances than Private Road’s blistering last-to-first 34.31 effort over 600m at Dapto on Thursday night.
Private Road secured a superb rails run at the first turn to lead going through the catching pen before careering away to win by 20 lengths in a time just 0.12 outside Noble Pedro’s long-standing track record.
"Tim Caines often handled Noble Pedro for trainer Mary Wright and was at my place on Thursday and I half jokingly told him that Private Road might break his old favourite’s record that night," trainer Mark Gatt said.
"If Private Road had begun a little better maybe she would have."
Private Road’s middle distance debut had been keenly anticipated ever since she produced startling run-home figures of 11.66 during her fast 29.87 520m win at Wentworth Park on April 13.
After the race owner Eddie Kingswell commented: "She has always tended to flop out of the starting boxes but as she showed with her overall figures and run home time she certainly has a big motor."
Private Road’s next assignment is over 618m at Richmond on Tuesday and with the exciting rookie drawing box one Space Star’s record of 35.00 could receive a shake-up.
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Hobby trainer Subawa Ngurah and his wife Jennifer became so reluctant to part with their retired racers they were forced to move from the Sydney suburb of Milperra to Tallong, in the NSW Southern Tablelands.
But the switch from training in the suburbs to working his greyhounds on a 20 acre country property has been a hit, with Ngurah currently enjoying his most successful period in six years as a trainer.
Ngurah, who won five races during 2010 and 2011 with Komodo, won at Goulburn last Tuesday with Sovereign Queen in a smart 25.88.
He also qualified for yesterday’s Canberra Legends final with two of Sovereign Queen’s siblings, Celestial Prince and Mimpy.
"Sovereign Queen, who will race again at Bulli on Wednesday, is the best of our team of six," Ngurah said.
"But the numbers are set to increase as we have several young greyhounds nearing racing age while Jennifer and I also have four greyhound pets on our property."
The move to Tallong, 25km from Bundanoon and with a population of under 1000, has meant a lot of travelling for Ngurah.
"I run my own security company so am back and forth to Sydney several times a week, especially at the weekends when my staff work at several venues in the city and in Kings Cross.
"But Jennifer and I love our greyhounds so much we could no longer keep them al;, particularly the retirees, in the suburbs.
"One of our retired greyhounds is Gembaz, the dam of Sovereign Queen, Celestial Prince and Mimpy.
"We got her as a brood bitch from successful north coast trainer Glen McLean when he decided to quit the sport.
"He gave us Gembaz in return for a puppy from her first litter and she has been a terrific producer for us, although at 10 years old she is now finished breeding and is another family pet."
