Zipping Maggie created history at Wentworth Park on Saturday night by becoming the first greyhound to win back-to-back Chairman's Cups.
Zipping Maggie took out the 2014 final in a race record time of 41.78 when trained in Victoria by Peter Dapiran while on Saturday, coming out of the NSW kennels of owner Marty Hallinan, she covered the 720m in 42.38.
When Zipping Maggie got up in the last couple of strides to run down Victorian visitor Mepunga Tiara she also ended recent interstate and overseas domination of the Group 3 race.
She was only the third NSW-trained greyhound to win the Cup since 2006, when bush greyhound Red Dusk took the final while Sydney's Your Signature was successful in 2010.
After Saturday night's race Marty Hallinan paid tribute to his greyhound's previous trainer Peter Dapiran.
"When I got her home from Peter's last month Zipping Maggie was in superb condition," Hallinan said.
"Box one was a big help to Zipping Maggie tonight because she had to make the pace or be up near the lead to win and from the rails draw she was able to do that."
Zipping Maggie's win was a consolation for Hallinan who had to scratch her kennelmate Zipping Felix from the Cup heats.
"(Zipping Felix) is a much better stayer than Zipping Maggie, in fact if I trialled them together Zipping Felix would win easily," he said.
Zipping Maggie defeated runner-up Mepunga Tiara by a head, with the first reserve Ada Mary more than two lengths away in third.
More In Store, who toppled Zipping Maggie in her Cup heat, finished fifth. She lost all chance at the start in the final, bungling the jump and then being badly hampered by Smooth Number and Entreaty, who were on her inside approaching the first turn after having also missed the kick.
In other action at Wentworth Park Avenging Gun and Goldengrove Lad earned starts in next Saturday night's Group 2 Bob Payne Spring Sprint heats with their wins at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Avenging Gun led throughout for win number 11 in 27 starts, clocking 29.87, while Goldengrove Lad ran down tearaway leader West On Delly to win in 29.95.
"I thought Goldengrove Lad was unlucky when fifth in a Canberra Cup heat on September 6 because he got dragged down when in a winning position," trainer Sid Swain said on Saturday night.
"He had trialled a sizzling 30.48 in the lead-up to the Cup so any dog capable of running time like that at Canberra deserves a shot at the Bob Payne."
Former Northern Beaches fruit shop proprietor Tony Teofilo, who breeds a litter every two years, also plans to tackle the Bob Payne with his home-bred dog Avenging Gun.
"It is a big thrill to have won four Wentworth Park races with Avenging Gun because he is a descendant of my first greyhound, Avenging Force, who was whelped in June, 1989 and who won six of 15 starts."
Meanwhile, Newcastle engineer Rick Burke has been training greyhounds for only seven months but had the honour of winning at Wentworth Park on Saturday night with Rare Quality, just his second starter in the metropolitan area.
"I bred Rare Quality from All Quality, a greyhound I had bought which was trained by Charlie Lamb," Burke said on Saturday night.
"In February my partner Kelly Fogarty and I decided to take the plunge and start training our own greyhounds and we have just two in work, Rare Quality, who has won five races now, and his sister Precious Quality, who won recently at The Gardens."
See you next week!
