Whittaker, the forgotten greyhound of NSW racing, will be back in action providing another blood test gives the Julie Fletcher-trained star the all clear.
A winner of 11 of 22 starts, Whittaker has not raced since finishing sixth in a heat of the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park on March 21.
Trainer Julie Fletcher's husband Bruce said yesterday that the dog had been sidelined with a mystery illness which, at one stage, threatened his life.
"He strained an achilles tendon but just before the Golden Easter Egg series began he seemed okay,'' Fletcher said.
"We went to trial him after the heats and while he wasn't terribly sick he was not his normal self, he was lethargic.
"So we took him to the veterinary surgeon who diagnosed him with an enlarged spleen, a high temperature and a decrease in his red blood cells.
"After a course of antibiotics he seems a lot better now but we won't race him again until he is cleared by another blood test.''
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Triples became one of the oldest greyhounds to win at Wentworth Park when she led throughout to score her fourth win in 31 starts over 280m on Monday night.
Triples, who turns six in January, is owned and trained by Ivan Zucchiatti, proprietor of a ladies hairdressing salon at ritzy Mosman.
Zucchiatti trains Triples from his backyard in the nearby suburb of Cremorne and his Wenty winner is the only greyhound he currently has in work.
"Her litter brother is much faster and has won seven races but is broken down at the moment,'' Zucchiatti said on Monday at Wentworth Park.
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Several promising youngsters make their first Wentworth Park race appearances in tonight's Ladbrokes Maiden Series with three of the most promising clashing in heat three.
Shady Son (box seven) led throughout to win a performance trial at Wentworth Park last week while Espanyol (box six) and Coffee Elizabeth (three) have trialled brilliantly at Bulli and Gosford respectively.
Espanyol won a 400m Bulli performance trial in 22.64 before winning a similar hit-out over 472m there in a slick 26.48.
Coffee Elizabeth led throughout to win a Gosford 515m performance trial in a quick 29.96 on May 5 before finishing sixth in a Richmond maiden over 535m on May 23.
Her Richmond flop was caused by her total bungling of the start while Espanyol was second away in his 472m Bulli trial but railed keenly to lead at the first turn before winning by five lengths.
But it is Shady Son who holds the most interest as he is a son of Shady's Lesson, a former top grader at Wentworth Park where she won eight races.
Shady Son is from Shady's Lesson's first litter and like his dam is trained by Owen Langley.
Langley has a big opinion of the 19 months old Shady Son and had actually expected the dog to go faster than the 30.16sec he posted in his June 8 Wentworth Park performance trial.
"I thought he would run around 29.80 because of the time he recorded when I gave him a post-to-post hand-slip at Dapto,'' Langley said.
"He recorded 24.25sec at Dapto and that is absolutely flying especially for a young pup.''
Other likely future city winners contesting tonight's heats are Mumza Pearl, trained by Ruth King (box two, heat one), the Beau Hedley-prepared Heir Of King (box six, heat two) and Dennis Barnes' Nangar Flash, who has box five in heat five.
Nangar Flash was particularly impressive in leading throughout to win a 457m performance trial at Goulburn on May 7 in an extra smart 25.78.
After a moderate getaway, Nangar Flash zoomed around the two pacemakers to hit the front in the middle stages, careering away in the straight to win by nine lengths.
