Jane Carruthers, who trained the immortal Rapid Journey, has a hot prospect on her hands in 18-month-old Phil's Green, runaway winner of a 400m performance trial at Maitland on Thursday.
A son of Barcia Bale and Carruthers' 2013 Wentworth Park Magic Maiden Classic winner Clockwise, Phil's Green was last of four starters to hit the ground but won by three lengths in 22.47.
Those figures were remarkable as they matched the fastest time of the day posted by the Jason Mackay-trained Fever Pitch, who scored his 21st win in the meeting's top grade sprint.
XXXX
Brad Ashton, who constructs house frames but trains six greyhounds as a hobby, has not had a Wentworth Park winner but believes his first city success is close at hand.
Ashton, who has been training greyhounds for only three years, believes his greyhound Beegumbah Rumba will not only win in the city but has a bright future.
"Only starter I have had at Wentworth Park was in a 280m race but I think Beegumbah Rumba will win there and that he is capable of taking out a big race,'' Ashton said.
Beegumbah Rumba has won seven of only 18 starts but the dog, who turns three in January, is improving with each run and has won four of his past seven outings, at Bulli, Temora and twice at Canberra.
XXXX
Bossley Park owner Matt Flint got a quick return for his purchase when Twist Of Tthunder won at Wentworth Park last Wednesday - despite being drawn on "the wrong side of the track.''
Nine weeks ago Flint bought Twist Of Thunder, who had won 11 races in Victoria, from top Melbourne trainer Angela Langton and soon transferred the 34 months old greyhound to Werombi trainer Wayne Boreland.
"Twist Of Thunder had his first start for Matt at Wenty on October 1 and he was hampered while trying to cross to the rails from box eight,'' Boreland's son John said.
"So when he drew box six on Wednesday we weren't confident.
"We had another greyhound, Arena Magic, in box one in the same race and were wishing we could swap draws because Arena Magic is better suited drawn wide.
"But Twist Of Thunder jumped well enough to clear the five greyhounds on his left and won in 29.94 so we think Matt is going to have a lot of fun with him.''
XXXX
Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts landed her fourth Ladbrokes Coonamble Maiden Classic final when Canya Touche took out last weekend's $10,000 feature race on the bumper card.
Roberts, who had won three of the previous 11 finals, also took out the quinella with Cher Keeping finishing a distant second behind Canya Touche.
Roberts supplied four of the eight finalists but rates Bolt Keeping, who finished fourth, the best of her quartet.
"He was fastest heat winner but drew badly in the final and I think he is going to be as good as his half-brother Harry Keeping, who won 11 of 20 races for me,'' Roberts said.
