This year's Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg is shaping up to be the mostly keenly contested since Ultra Sense won the first final in 1990, with seven of Saturday's 10 heat winners breaking Wentworth Park's 30 second barrier.
National Futurity winner Striker Light set the time standard with an all-the-way win in 29.67, while Falcon's Fury and Nangar Bear clocked 29.71, Mack-tux">Mac">Mack Tux 29.78, Topper Teretto 29.81, Up Hill Jill 29.82 with Wicked Warrior recording 29.99.
Striker Light's performance, which included dazzling second and third splits of 13.61 and 17.68, surprised even her trainer Brett Bravo.
"She was very flat after finishing sixth in the Richmond Oaks on March 17 and went into tonight's race on a light preparation," Bravo said.
"I had expected Striker Light to improve as the Easter Egg series progressed so I was rapt she went so well first-up.
"Her quick second and third sectional times didn't surprise me though, the middle stages of a race is always where Striker Light breaks up the field."
Up Hill Jill has won 11 of 21 Victorian starts but trainer David Geall declared Wentworth Park his greyhound's favourite track after she took out her Easter Egg heat in 29.82.
"I got her out of the car late this afternoon after nine hours on the road from Melbourne yet she was immediately pulling and reefing and raring to go," Geall said.
"She knew she was at Wentworth Park, she just loves the place.
"Up Hill Jill has fantastic pace when she hits the ground, I only wish she could time the start better.
"But she mustered pace so quickly (tonight) she was in front passing the winning post with a lap to go."
A change in his meat supplier had trainer Bruce King concerned before Mack-tux">Mac">Mack Tux contested heat one of the Golden Easter Egg, but he need not have worried as the greyhound recorded the fastest first split of the night - 5.39 - en route to an all-the-way 29.78 victory.
"Because I used different meat this week Mack-tux">Mac">Mack Tux's weight tonight dropped from 31.5kg at his last start to 31.1kg tonight," King said.
"But one of his kennelmates also dropped around half a kilo and still won at Richmond 24 hours earlier."
Falcon's Fury from the Paul Braddon kennels in Cowra and the Cudal trained Nangar Bear were in front all-the-way in their heat wins while Wicked Warrior had to come from third on the back straight to run down Barking Bad.
"I reckon Wicked Warrior was in the strongest heat and his win tonight was a tough effort,'' trainer Jason Magri said.
"He had box one tonight but I prefer him drawn somewhere in the middle because he never jumps cleanly from the inside alley."
Melbourne Cup winner and early Golden Easter Egg favourite Ando's Mac qualified for Saturday's semi finals, finishing second to Royal Turbo in his heat.
See you next week!
