Fantastic Spiral has gone faster at Wentworth Park but trainer Jason Fletcher reckons his win in Saturday night's Free For All was possibly the finest of his seven victories at the track.
Fantastic Spiral's personal best Wentworth Park time is 29.77, but while he took 29.96 to win on Saturday Fletcher was still delighted at the effort.
"That was a good win, he has certainly toughened up since I first brought him to Wenty," Fletcher said.
La Grand Logie had jumped in front with Fantastic Spiral not far behind him and they went head and head battling for the lead on the first turn.
The pair collided and Fantastic Spiral (pictured with Fletcher and his family) showed true grit to surge to the front going through the catching pen.
He held on tenaciously on the back straight before racing away to win by just over six lengths from Uno Suzie, with La Grand Logie a creditable third, a little over four lengths away.
Uno Suzie's second placing prevented Londonderry trainer Anthony Azzopardi from landing four of Saturday's 10 winners.
Azzopardi won a treble with Vic Peters Classic victor Zambora Brockie scoring a win in a best of the night 29.63, Myrniong Star successful in 29.92 and Asa Hard Knox in 30.41.
Trainer Shaun Evans will take Star Torana to Melbourne for next month's Group 2 Sandown Laurels Classic following her powerful win in a fifth grade at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Star Torana, whose recent campaign has been interrupted by a seasonal condition, gave the flying Good Odds Angel a six lengths start on the back straight before getting up to win by a neck.
"Going down the back I was prepared to settle for second prizemoney because I didn't think Star Torana would run down Good Odds Angel," Evans said after the race.
"But on the home turn I gave her a chance of winning and she got there. What made the difference tonight was that Star Torana began better than she has been doing lately.
"The Laurels, which is for females whelped on or after June 1, 2013, begins with heats on December 6.
"That gives me time to take Star Torana to Melbourne for a trial at Sandown before the series begins."
Stayer Phantom Reign earned a start in next Saturday night's heats of the Group 3 Summer Cup at Wentworth Park with a surprise all-the-way win in a nippy 42.39 over 720m on Saturday.
It was Phantom Reign's third win in five Wentworth Park 720m races but trainer Dean Swain was relieved to see his greyhound back in form.
"I took her to Melbourne for the Bold Trease Cup series at Sandown and she disappointed me in two starts there," Swain said later.
"It was pleasing to see her go straight to the front tonight and to keep going strongly."
Lorella Fire's trainer Mark Moroney was delighted with the effort of his greyhound after she won a fifth grade on Saturday night.
"There was a lot of early pace among Lorella Fire's rivals and I thought the race would be run to suit her," Moroney said later.
"I believed that if she got a clear run she might get the sit behind the pacemakers in the middle stages and she is very strong at the finish.
"That's how it worked out and Lorella Fire is entered for a 618m race at Richmond on Wednesday. I think middle distances are her go and I have just been trying to get her fit enough to step her up.
Opus Forte, dropping in class from Free For All to fifth grade, notched his 12th Wentworth Park win in a fast 29.79 on Saturday night.
The dog had finished unplaced at his three previous Wentworth Park outings against top grade company and after he scored by eight lengths on Saturday night trainer Luke Azzopardi was over the moon.
"It's marvellous what a drop in class can do," he said.
"Opus Forte has been trialling as well as ever but not beginning fast enough to compete with the best sprinters.
"But he jumped well tonight and was able to settle in second spot going around the first turn."
Hobby trainer Charles Lyttle, a retired businessman, landed a long priced winner when Copy Right scored his first Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.
See you next week!
