Front-running stayer Ada Mary defied three separate challengers to complete the Sydney and Summer Cups double at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Sharon Grey's brave stayer, who took out the Sydney Cup on October 10 put, in a repeat all-the-way performance to take out the Summer Cup final, coming away to score by just under two lengths from Zipping Echo with tiny Serena Nimbus a neck away third.
Serena Nimbus had run down Ada Mary in her heat in 42.27 but Saturday night's figures of 42.49 were sufficient for Grey's bitch to snare the $25,000 first prize.
She became the seventh greyhound to win the Sydney and Summer Cups double since Wentworth Park was converted from grass to sand in 1993.
Queensland's Trojan Tears won that year, with Victoria's Ringside Fire successful in 1997, and current trainers Warren Slade and Bob Littlefield landing the double in 1998 and 2005 respectively with Gallant Seagull and Royal Riddle.
Victoria's Amity Bale won in 2009 while Tasmania's great Bellhaven crossed Bass Strait to win the 2012 finals.
On Saturday Ada Mary began fast from box four but Shoulders got within a neck of her with a lap to go.
Then, on the back straight, It's A Bird joined Ada Mary in the lead before the winner drew clear and before comfortably holding off a late bid by Zipping Echo.
"When It's A Bird joined Ada Mary on the back straight, and maybe even got a head in front of her, I thought my greyhound was gone,'' trainer Grey said later.
"She refuses to give in, I think she finds that little bit extra when she gets challenged for the lead.''
Carole Eaton reckons her husband Jeff's greyhound La Grand Logie races in a similar fashion after the dog rose to persistent challenges for the lead to record fastest time in the heats of the Group 3 John Stollery Christmas Gift.
La Grand Logie jumped in front from box six and despite being under pressure throughout fom placegetters Let It Develop and Black Bear Lee hung on to win by a head.
"He is a real race dog - once he is in front La Grand Logie is hard to get past,'' Carole Eaton said later.
Other Gift heat winners were Queensland's Leeroy Roller in 29.92, Knight Sprite in 30.05 and outsider Morgan Brothers in 30.26
Leeroy Roller, trained by former Sydneysider Jeff Crawford at Buccan, near BEENLEIGH, took the lead at the first turn to win easily.
Sydney trainer Ray Webster, handling the dog on Crawford's behalf said: "I handslipped Leeroy Roller at Wenty and he clocked 24.20 so we expected him to go close to winning tonight.''
Trainer Gayle Masterson is confident Knight Sprite's heat run, his first visit to a racetrack in a month, will improve him.
"He will be a better dog in the final,'' Masterson declared.
"Because he had not raced for a month Knight Sprite got extremely excited when we walked onto the track and when I put him into the starting boxes he was so agitated he tried to back out on me.
"So while he began okay he can come out faster and I think he will settle better next week.''
When Blayney trainer Keith Selten nominated low grader Morgan Brothers for the Group 3 Gift he doubted his dog would be drawn, but Morgan Brothers pulled off the upset of the night by coming from third in the middle stages to defeat Stench Of Power and Uno Suzie.
"If he had not been drawn in the Gift I intended entering Morgan Brothers for today's Lithgow Golden Muzzle heats,'' a jubilant Selten said on Saturday night.
"His brother Secret Bet, which I also train, today qualified for next Saturday's Golden Muzzle final but I'm happier to see Morgan Brothers contesting my first Group race.''
"I could not care less about the box draw - I'm in a group race at Wentworth Park.
"Morgan Brothers has gone from grade fives to a group three final in seven weeks!''
Box draw for the John Stollery Christmas Gift: 1 Morgan Brothers 2 La Grand Logie 3 Let It Develop 4 Are Jip 5 Knight Sprite 6 Myrniong Star 7 Stench Of Power 8 Leeroy Roller with reserves Black Bear Lee and Virouette.
