Takahi Max, whose career has been rejuvenated through being "back home in his old kennel'' will be set for next month's Group 2 Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup (472m) following his astonishing win at Dapto last Thursday night.
Competing in a Masters' (veterans' ) race, Takahi Max won easily, covering the 520m in 29.56, just .22 outside Fantastic Dotty's track record.
After the race Takahi Max's owner-trainer-breeder Joe Bertinato said: "When he clocked such fast time people were coming up to me querying why he wasn't in a free for all, considering he had won in 29.84 at Wentworth Park in 2015.
"I replied it is because he is nearly four years old!''
Takahi Max, a March, 2013 whelping by Collision from Bertinato's former front running speedster Moonshine Caddie, won twice at Wentworth Park in August 2015.
"Later I sent the dog to South Australia," Bertinato said. "After he won three from six starts there I transferred him to Victoria, but he was unsuccessful in Victoria and I began thinking Takahi Max was simply homesick.
"I brought him back to NSW and when he got home he virtually insisted on being put back into his old kennel.
"Once I did that Takahi Max was so happy and seemed transformed, not surprising because all my dogs are spoiled from the day they are born.
"I took him to Dapto and he clocked 24.18 in a post-to-post slip and they don't run much faster than that. Then Takahi Max won at Bulli in 26.33 for the 472m before his near record win at Dapto on Thursday.
"Since coming home Takahi Max has had seven starts for three wins, two seconds and two thirds, so I am now setting him for the Group 2 Bulli Cup heats on February 18.''
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Myrniong Blaster will be nominated for Wednesday night's Wentworth Park meeting following his dashing nine lengths' win over 520m at Dapto on Thursday night.
The Mario Azzopardi-trained dog's hollow all-the-way victory in a brilliant 29.75, second fastest time of the night, was his fifth success in 13 provincial starts.
Azzopardi, whose brother Anthony was a former leading Sydney trainer and is now among the top bracket in Victoria, was not surprised by Myrniong Blaster's win.
"I thought so highly of this greyhound I had intended preparing him for the National Derby heats, which were held at Wentworth Park last Saturday night,'' Azzopardi said.
"But at his second Wenty run he took a tumble and I did not have time to prepare him for the Group 1 race.
"At Dapto on Thursday Myrniong Blaster showed what he can do, jumping well and taking off like a bullet. Having an inside box helped his cause too.
"I'm having a bit of a run as Myrniong Blaster's brother Myrniong Raffles won for me at Bulli on January 21.
"I train these dogs for Anthony's main client, Terry Kingcott, who is based at Myrniong, near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria and whenever I have a query regarding the training of my dogs Anthony is only a phone call away to help me out.''
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Wicked Warrior, whose 34.29 600m Dapto win on Thursday was a mere .20 outside Fantastic Tail's course record, will revert to sprinting for the Group 2 Richmond Derby heats on March 3.
Wicked Warrior is now unbeaten in two middle distance appearances for trainer Jason Magri, posting 34.33 on debut and snipping .04 off those figures on Thursday.
"He would have given the record a bit of a shake if he had jumped better at his latest run, but I plan to get him ready for the 535m Richmond Derby and the 520m Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg series at Wentworth Park in April," Magri said.
"After those events I might test him as a stayer but the Dapto 600m is an easy run so despite those wins I am not convinced Wicked Warrior will run a solid 720 metres.''
