Shima Bar, having only his 13th race start, gave all conquering Victorian trainer Andrea Dailly yet another Group 1 victory in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park.
Starting as the $3.10 favourite, Shima Bar trailed the Jason Magri-trained Clock's Ticking ($9.80) for most of the race, but swept to the lead at the top of the straight for a two length win.
Clock's Ticking was runner-up with another NSW-trained greyhound - the Paul Braddon-prepared Falcon's Fury ($4.20) - a luckless third, one-and-a-half lengths away.
Falcon's Fury, a near foolproof beginner until overcoming a slow start to win his Paws Of Thunder heat on January 14, missed the jump again and After joining Shima Bar in second spot at the first turn lost all chance when the ultimate winner shifted wide and checked the local star.
The fancied Striker Light ($3,60) did not begin with her usual brilliance and after colliding with Blabba Mouth soon after the start, was never a chance and finished fifth.
After the race Shima Bar's part-owner David Gleeson paid his young greyhound the ultimate tribute, rating him superior to his dam Shimaguni and Shima Song, who is the Paws Of Thunder winner's older half-sister. That is a huge compliment given Shimaguni gave the champion greyhound Miata a run for her money in the heats and final of the 2012 Association Cup
Gleeson and fellow part-owner Bob Cummings won 21 of 42 races with Shimaguni while Shima Song has won 20 from 47 appearances.
"Shima Bar is faster than either of them,'' Gleeson said after Saturday night's win. "Bob Cummings and I have bred and raced greyhounds in partnership for 40 years and we have never had a cross word.''
Dublin Bull completed a big night for Victoria and trainer Jeff Britton when he scored an upset all-the-way win in Saturday's other group race - the Group 2 Ladbrokes Summer Distance Plate over the 720m.
Starting as a $20 outsider after he led to the home bend but faded to finish fourth to It's A Fling in his heat, Dublin Bull made the pace once again in the final and went to the line solidly to score by two lengths.
Odds-on favourite Burn One Down and the Michael Eberand-trained Ebby Ripper flashed home late to take out the placings, but all honours were with the winner.
"Dublin Bull) is not a true stayer but he is partial to Wentworth Park and when he jumped to the front on a dry track he was always going to improve on his heat run," Britton said after the win.
The Britton kennel won a treble on Saturday, with National Derby hopeful Alpha Lucky winning a 520m 5th grade in 30.03 and Britton's partner Angela Langton's Kumbia Lass - a National Futurity candidate - leading throughout in a similar grade in 30.08.
While Eberand missed out with Ebby Ripper, the in-form trainer picked up a consolation $15,000 when Barking Bad took out the Paws Of Thunder consolation - The Collerson.
Barking Bad ($7.20) was slowly away but railed into second position entering the back straight and roared past pacemaker Mainline Osti leaving the back straight to win by nearly five lengths.
Ironically Barking Bad's time of 29.78 for the 520m was much quicker than the 29.92 posted by Shima Bar in the Paws Of Thunder final.
"I was not happy with his Paws Of Thunder heat run so I brought Barking Bad back to Wentworth Park last Tuesday night and gave him another look at the track,'' Eberand said later.
"Normally I would not do that so close to a race but it made the difference to Barking Bad tonight."
See you next week!
