FORBES trainer Ray Smith brought a record eight greyhounds to Wentworth Park on Friday night and was rewarded when promising stayer Irinka Lylea scored her best win in the 720m AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes.
Although Irinka Lylea's time, 42.70, was a long way below her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 42.26 posted on June 13, Friday's was her finest performance.
While she led throughout on June 13, Irinka Lylea was turned sideways when she collided with Ritza Ruby at the first turn on Friday night.
The heavy collision alowed favourite More In Store, who had bungled the start from box one, to secure a dream run to momentarily hit the front with just over a lap to go.
But Irinka Lylea refused to give up and swept past More In Store near the catching pen before holding on tenaciously to win by nearly two lengths.
"That was a good effort and shows how well Irinka Lylea is going at present," Smith said after the win.
"Earlier in her career she would have spat out the dummy if she had been checked like that."
Smith, who has 12 greyhounds in training, brought Irinka Lylea, Irinka Alf, Irinka Rose, Terry's Memory, Spangher Tack, Lily May Brae, Irinka Millie and Brad Hill Billy to town in an eight dog trailer.
"We have three trailers, an eight dogger, a four and a two dog trailer, because Ray and I often race simultaneously at different tracks," Smith's wife Maree said on Saturday night.
The Smiths were somewhat unlucky not to land a double as former Tasmanian Brad Hill Billy was again a luckless placegetter, finishing third to Knight Sprite in 29.86, which was the fastest 520m time of the meeting.
Brad Hill Billy, who is desperate for an inside box, has drawn eight, five, eight, five, six and eight at his past six Wentworth Park starts yet has still managed a win and four placings.
He is certain to win again in Sydney when he draws close to the rails.
A relationship forged when Brad Barber was asked to paint Darrell Smith's house paid off when Billysoar registered an overdue Wentworth Park win in 29.97.
"I paint houses for a living and after painting the house of Darrell, who owns an electrical wholesale business, he asked me to train a dog or two for him," Barber said on Friday night.
"The first greyhound I had for him was Spring Patrick, who beat a good field in a long distance race at Richmond but who had lost his confidence after a fall," Barber said.
"Friday's was Billysoar's race because he drew the extreme, just where he wants to be, and had clocked 29.84 in a stewards' trial at Wenty a week earlier.
"If ever there was a race for him that was it and when he began smartly and ran straight to the first turn I was pretty confident he was going to win."
Billysoar was one of only two greyhounds to break 30 seconds on Friday, recording a dashing run home time of 11.75.
