Jason Thompson landed the quinella in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Classic at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, with Buck Forty defeating kennelmate Invictus Rapid.
Before the race, the astute Thompson said he expected Invictus Rapid to be the pacemaker and while that greyhound did lead from the first turn, Buck Forty zoomed along the rails in the home straight to snatch the $75,000 winner's purse by a neck.
Usually a slow beginner, Buck Forty, who had box two, secured a dream run going through the catching pen after hot favourite Ritza Lenny, box one, knuckled over and almost fell at box rise.
Shima Song had jumped quickly from box three but moved slightly to the right, allowing Buck Forty to cruise into second place behind Invictus Rapid.
Ritza Lenny, whose terrible getaway had him a distant fifth in the middle stages, put up a mighty effort to finish third, four lengths behind the winner.
Buck Forty is owned by Clergate breeders Danielle and David Pringle, who sent the dog to Thompson's Pearcedale, Victoria kennels, in January.
After Saturday night's win David Pringle paid tribute to Thompson's ability as a trainer.
"He is a marvel," Pringle said.
"It's ironic Buck Forty relegated Ritza Lenny to third spot because Mark Gatt's dog Oaks Road beat Buck Forty's sire, Buck Fever, which I trained, in a Maitland Cup a couple of years back."
Saturday was a big day for the Thompson family as Jason's son Ben, one of Australia's leading apprentice jockeys, rode a winning double at Flemington just a few hours before Buck Forty's win.
The track was on the slow side on Saturday and Buck Forty stopped the clock at 29.83, well outside the 29.27 race record established last year by Fernando Bale.
While Ritza Lenny was a hardluck story, his trainer Gatt had some consolation on Saturday night as he landed a winning double with stayer More In Store in the AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes (720m) and with Ritza Rossi in the Find Us On Facebook Stakes (520m).
More In Store, who had not had a 720m Wentworth Park race since September, ran down Albion Park Gold Cup placegetter Lovelace to win by nearly two lengths in a slick 42.37.
"That was a good effort because More In Store's preparation for tonight's race was less than ideal," Gatt said later.
"I have been having trouble getting draws in long distance races with her so to see More In Store run out the 720m strongly is encouraging.
"She is eligible for fifth grade events in Melbourne so I now intend to take her and Ritza Lenny south for a couple of races."
Pauline Moran trained Run The Risk to win the 2007 Peter Mosman Classic for owner John O'Brien so it was fitting that owner's dog Screen Test should end a long run of outs at Wentworth Park for the Londonderry trainer on Saturday night.
Screen Test won brilliantly at Gosford last Tuesday and backed up superbly just 96 hours later to score an easy win in Saturday's GBOTA Life Member Appreciation Stakes, (520m).
"We have trained greyhounds for John O'Brien for over a decade and he has been a wonderfully supportive owner," Moran said later.
"When Run The Risk won the Classic John was a motor vehicle dealer but he is now enjoying his retirement."
No Diggity gave Trent Anderson his first Wentworth Park winner as a trainer when the former Victorian greyhound led throughout in Saturday night's ladbrokes.com.au Stakes, (520m).
"I owned a few greyhounds which were racing in Victoria but recently decided to bring them home and take out a trainer's licence myself," Anderson said.
"At present I have only two race dogs in work but have 10 youngsters on their way to the racetrack."
See you next week!
