Jason Magri landed the 2016 Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden with Wicked Warrior and the Kemps Creek trainer has a strong contender in Wednesday night's Wentworth Park heats with Miss Gambler.
"She can really run,'' Magri said before Miss Gambler scored an impressive six lengths win in a 520m performance trial at Dapto on Thursday.
Miss Gambler zipped over the first two sections in 5.44 and 17.19, similar splits to those posted by the Mark Gatt-trained Rita's Boy who won in 29.93, the fastest time of the meeting.
At her only previous public appearance Miss Gambler won a performance trial over 484m at Casino on February 24 where there were excuses for her moderate time of 28.92.
Miss Gambler was skittled by a rival and almost fell soon after the start, putting up a courageous performance to win.
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Falcon's Fury may have finished down the course in Aussie Infrared's PPK Mining Group Maitland Gold Cup final on Thursday but his Cowra-based trainer Paul Braddon did not go home empty-handed.
Braddon landed a winning double, taking out the 400m Damsels Dash final with Hope's A Chance, and a minor race with Ferrero Miss.
Hope's A Chance, a daughter of Paul and Pam Braddon's great producer WILLOW Blaze, scampered over the 400m in a smart 22.47 for her 16th victory.
Braddon also won a performance trial over 400m with unraced puppy Shae's Magic, who tracked wide but won easily in 22.73.
Shae's Magic, just 19 months old, is also a daughter of WILLOW Blaze, whose previous offspring include All A Blaze, winner of 10 from 36 starts, and the 2016 Maitland Gold Cup and Temora Cup winner Marbo's Magic, successful at 17 of 30 races.
For several weeks trial watchers have been reporting that the Braddons have another "hot'' litter preparing to make their debuts, and Shae's Magic looks set to live up to the hype.
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When Kevin Johnson's wife Yvonne passed away earlier this year, the leading North Coast breeder decided to reduce his racing team.
Among the greyhounds he sold was the aptly-named Tough Times, a son of Johnson's prolific winner Bloss Sannette, the Taree 537m record holder.
Tough Times was purchased by Central Coast trainers Jill and Warren Harper and the young dog was a brilliant winner over 400m at Maitland on Thursday.
Tough Times won a 400m maiden event in a super slick 22.45.
"He had box one which suited him because he is desperate for the rails, but he has a future," trainer Jill Harper said. "We are confident he will run 520 metres because we have already trialled him over 450m at Maitland and Tough Times has gone well and got to the line strongly.''
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Aussie Infrared, who gave triple Cup finals winner Pantera Nera a start and a beating in Thursday's Maitland Gold Cup, has headed south to prepare for the April 26 heats of the Group 2 Warrnambool Cup.
Trained in Victoria by Rosalyn Hume, Aussie Infrared is part-owned by his breeder, Sydney financial consultant Michael Eberand.
