Star Torana Motors To Victory

By Jeff Collerson

Star Torana is likely to target two of three imminent Group races following her sizzling best time of the night performance at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

The Shaun Evans-trained greyhound took her record to 11 wins from just 27 starts when she led throughout in a fourth and fifth grade Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg Prelude, winning by nine lengths in 29.70.

Her time was 0.25 faster than Queen Audrey recorded in her 13 length all-the-way demolition of a fifth grade lineup and a remarkable 0.46 quicker than the incomparable Bessy Boo posted in his 20th Wentworth Park victory.

After Star Torana's win trainer Shaun Evans said he had an ambitious plan for the greyhound. 

"She will be entered for Friday's heats of the Group 2 Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Gold Cup at Bulli and after that race I have a couple of options for her," he said.

"One is to tackle the Group 2 Richmond Oaks heats on February 26 and the other is to head to Melbourne for the Australian Cup heats at The Meadows on February 27.

"I would like to take Star Torana back to Melbourne because she won a heat of the Sandown Laurels on December 6 but had to be scratched from the rest of that series after she was bitten by a spider.

"Her leg blew up like a balloon due to the spider bite and it didn't look too promising for a while, but she has obviously made a terrific recovery."

Another of Saturday night's impressive winners, Eva Diva, is a definite entry for the Bess Electrical Richmond Oaks heats.

Eva Diva resumed from a spell to lead throughout in 30.14.

"The Oaks has long been her mission," trainer Mario Abela said after the race.

"I was really pleased with the way she hung on tonight because I had only been hand-slipping Eva Diva leading up to this race and while she has been going well I was concerned she might be short of race fitness."

Queen Audrey could also target the Richmond Oaks, which is restricted to female greyhounds, after her second impressive Wentworth Park win in 72 hours.

Queen Audrey registered her toughest win when she came from behind to score on Wednesday but broke 30 seconds for the first time on Saturday, bolting away from her rivals in 29.95.

Alan Proctor, whose wife Christine trains Bessy Boo, admitted being "in awe" of their greyhound after yet another sterling Wentworth Park performance on Saturday night.

Bessy Boo ran in and collided at box rise but worked his way across to the rails from box seven to be third on the back straight.

From that point the powerful finishing Bessy Boo was always going to win and after joining pacemaker Chilli Sierra at the top of the straight, he drew away to win the Ladbrokes Monthly Medal Masters Stakes, worth $8933 to the winner, by just over three lengths.

"Bessy Boo's consistency continues to amaze Christine and I," Alan said later.

"It is one thing to compile a really consistent record on one-turn tracks but it is a lot harder to do so on two-turn courses like Wentworth Park.

"And while Bessy Boo is really desperate for an inside box, he has been able to a dozen races now from boxes six, seven and eight. Having said that, he obviously relished dropping in grade tonight."