Clock's Ticking will be set for the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic heats on October 15 following his fastest time of the night 29.87 performance at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The Jason Magri-trained greyhound took his tally to 10 wins and nine placings from 24 starts with an all-the-way five length win in a heat of the Ladbrokes Monthly Medal Sprint (520m).
Clock's Ticking had been desperately unlucky when fifth to Brad Hill Billy at WP 72 hours earlier and is now among the leading candidates for the Vic Peters, NSW's most time honoured age classic.
Open to greyhounds whelped on or after April 1, 2014, the Vic Peters Classic was first staged at Harold Park in 1951.
"It is a perfect race for Clock's Ticking because he will be among the oldest and most experienced in the event,'' trainer Magri said. "He has had no luck in the box draws but keeps overcoming those hurdles which is the sign of a good dog.''
Also in the Vic Peters will be Ando's Mac, who took his record since joining the Jason Mackay kennels in the Hunter Valley to four starts for four wins on Saturday night.
Ando's Mac railed underneath pacemaker Runway Idol going through the catching pen and gradually drew away to win comfortably in 30.08.
Until recently Ando's Mac was trained in Victoria by Brett Bravo where he had won six of 17 starts, including two on visits to Wentworth Park.
The dog is part-owned by Luke Anderson, a NSW central coast railways employee, who bred Ando's Mac from his bitch Brook's Doll.
"Ando's Mac's mother had ability but was not too successful on the track because she did not always show her real talent on race night,'' Anderson said.
"But she has instilled her speed into Ando's Mac while he also has a fierce tenacity to win, something his mum Brook's Doll lacked at times.''
Le Perro, purchased for a five figure sum while still a maiden performer, overcame a slow start to win Saturday night's ladbrokes.com.au fifth grade final in 30.05.
Trained by Kristy Sultana for Brad Canty, Le Perro bungled the jump but went fast to be second from the pen to the home turn.
In the straight he surged past Enrage, his conqueror in the heats a week earlier, to score by nearly two lengths.
"Le Perro is a much faster dog than most people realise,'' owner Canty said. "Although he did not break 30 seconds tonight, I have no doubt that if Kristy trialled him around Wentworth Park on his own he would get down to 29.60 or 29.70.
"But he has more than repaid his purchase price with four wins and two seconds from six starts since I bought him.''
Spider Gleeson, another of Saturday night's Wenty winners, was no five figure buy, having been bought by owner George Kaoutal for only $800.
Spider Gleeson led throughout to score his third win in six Wentworth Park races, taking out a 520m fifth grade in 30.22.
"I discovered him running around a farm when he was already two years old,'' Kaoutal said. "He was offered to me for only $800 and while I was dubious because he was so mature and was unraced, his breeder promised me I would have a lot of fun with Spider Gleeson.
"How right he was, because Spider Gleeson has now become one of the best dogs I have raced in my 25 years in the sport.''
Mark Diehm led in his first Wentworth Park winner when Happy Digger, trained in the ACT by his father, John, rattled home for a half length win in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday night.
"Happy Digger had been unplaced in two previous Wenty races but he has taken time to get used to the track,'' Mark Diehm said.
"He is very hard to beat at Canberra because he knows that course backwards and he has now won 11 of 28 races for us and his owner, Owen McGovern, who lives in Victoria.''
See you next week!
