Hot newcomer Master Sonny will be set for a Bulli To Wenty heat after maintaining his impressive start to racing.
The son of Knocka Norria and Firefly Sally continued his unbeaten record for new owner-trainer Scott Austen with a sizzling 25.12 win over 450m at Maitland last Thursday.
Master Sonny won first-up for Austen, who works at Sydney's International Airport and trains greyhounds as a hobby, in 26.60 at Bulli before clocking 25.22 at Maitland.
He then beat a Hot line-up at that track late last week to score his latest win.
"I bought him from CHRIS Supple in the Northern Rivers after the dog won a maiden at his third start at Casino in June,'' Austen said.
"I had my eye on Master Sonny for a while and finally persuaded CHRIS to sell him to me.
"Master Sonny is probably more at home at this stage on bigger tracks like Bulli and Maitland but he did go well in a post-to-post trial for me at Wentworth Park when I first brought him to Sydney.
"I'm looking for heats of a Bulli to Wenty series for him now."
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Spare a thought for trainer Dean Swain whose puppy Tilly's Boy was nailed on the line by the amazing Fantastic Dotty in Thursday night's Group 3 Dean Industrial Maiden Classic at Dapto.
Swain was one of the few trainers who believed his dog could upset the track record holder, because Tilly's Boy had posted blistering first splits in his heat and semi-final wins.
But after stealing a seven length break at one stage in the final, Tilly's Boy was beaten in the closest of pHoto finishes by Fantastic Dotty, who overcame a slow start and early interference to maintain her unbeaten record.
"Getting beaten doesn't worry me but the worst part was that before the result went into the frame, the other trainers were rushing up to congratulate me,'' Swain said.
"Even Fantastic Dotty's trainer Jason Fletcher shook my hand and told me I had won, so when the result was semaphored it was pretty crushing.
"Tilly's Boy will now go back to Dapto for a low grade heat and final and then I will take him to Wentworth Park for a trial before nominating him there.''
Tilly's Boy is the first greyhound owned by Scott Hanson of Coffs Harbour, who phoned Swain "out of the blue'' asking him to train his dog.
"Stephen Keep, who broke in my National Futurity winner Rue De Kahn, had educated Tilly's Boy and told his owner he was a city class greyhound,'' Swain said.
"He has always been a fast dog and in his first trial, just after I got him, he clocked 22.60 over 400m at Richmond.''
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Things aren't totally bleak for Swain as the stars of his team, Rue De Kahn and Ella Has Class, are on the comeback trail.
Rue De Kahn, who won the Richmond and Dapto Oaks double along with last year's Futurity, has been out of action since winning the NSW South Coast final on June 4.
Ella Has Class, who won four successive 600m races at Dapto and Gosford last preparation, is trialling well after tearing a pin muscle.
"She was going for five middle distance wins in a row when she did the pin muscle at Gosford on June 10,'' Swain said.
"She is flying again now and hand-slipped 25.20 at Richmond last trial, producing a fantastic run home time of 14.80.''
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Eyebrows were raised at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night when Zipping Abby, who has earned just on $40,000 from nine wins including five victories and seven placings at Wentworth Park, was listed in the form guide as being trained by her owner Marty Hallinan.
But Hallinan explained that the greyhound's former trainer Ron Seymour was simply having an enforced break from the sport due to a double knee reconstruction.
"Ron has had both knees done and is on a walking frame so the last thing he can do, or wants to do for that matter, is to be training greyhounds right at the moment,'' Hallinan explained.
"Zipping Abby will be going back into Ron's kennels as soon as he has recovered from his operations.''
Unfortunately for connections Zipping Abby, who had hand-slipped a slick 24.40 at Wentworth Park on the eve of Wednesday's race, lost any hope she had in the Free For All when she 'bombed' the start from box four and was well back throughout, finishing sixth.
