Mini Cousin has been earning her treats in recent weeks and looks capable of winning her fifth race in a row in race four (407m) at Grafton tonight.
The KARL Miller-trained greyhound jumps from box five just over a week after winning at Kempsey over the 350m and Miller believes she is in with a strong chance once again this evening.
"I'm surprised with how she's going - but I'm delighted as well," Miller, a hobby trainer based at Mortons Creek, close to Port Macquarie on the NSW North Coast, said. "She had a two-month break at the start of the year and since then she's been racing superbly.
"I think she's just developed and learned how to jump well. She's really started to ping the lids.
"Like all my greyhounds, I tend to her spoil her rotten but I can't help it. "The minute I leave the sheds she barks for 30 minutes and when she hears my car coming down the drive when I'm home from work, she barks as well.
"She's a bit of a handful, but I love her and she's racing superbly at the moment."
Mini Cousin's recent form also includes a smart 22.34 Best-of-the-Day run over the 400m at Maitland two starts back on her first look at the Hunter Valley track.
She faces a strong field in this race headed by Amber Ale (box five), an impeccably bred daughter of champion Fernando Bale and former track specialist Scissor Queen who has won her first two starts so far.
"Amber Ale looks a pretty talented pup, but if Mini Cousin begins like she can, I think she can win," Miller said.
In other action at Grafton this evening, Mandela Cloud (box eight) looks the top pick in the first of four heats of the Ladbrokes Red Dog Series (race six, 480m).
The Gavin Lowe-trained greyhound mixes form but showed his quality with back-to-back wins at Lismore recently and can return to form in this race.
Bitten Bye (box six) is in consistent form and looks ready to salute in the second heat, the night's seventh race.
A newcomer from the astute Northern Rivers kennel of Andrew Monaghan, Bitten Bye has placed in four of his last five starts and ran a speedy 27.50 while narrowly beaten over this trip last week.
Marilena Franco (box seven) and Hitchiker Dude (box three) are class acts at their best and looks the best bets in heats three and four (races seven and eight) respectively.
Former Bulli 472m track record holder Sandave Prince (box seven) has been racing solidly since returning from a long break and looks the standout chance in race 10 over the 305m.
Former Grafton Monday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
