Lucky Chap's extraordinary 10 length romp in his heat of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Classic at Wentworth Park on Saturday night was an astonishing 0.36 faster than the next best time, which was posted by Charrua.
The Anthony Azzopardi-trained Lucky Chap (pictured, white rug) came out running from box eight to win his heat in 29.56, with Charrua stopping the clock at 29.92. That means Lucky Chap recorded the equivalent of five lengths quicker figures than any of the other seven heat winners.
A tick slower than Charrua were Aston Dee Bee (29.93), Patch Adam and Lucky Chap's kennelmate Rohan Hall (both on 29.96), Up Hill Jill (29.97) and Yankee's Ethics (30.00).
Slowest heat winner was Central Bark, who led throughout in 30.47, prompting trainer Mark Bell to voice his disbelief at the time.
“I trialled him box-to-box at Wenty last Tuesday and he absolutely flew, but still a win is a win,” Bell said.
Up Hill Jill's win rewarded her owner, trainer and breeder David Geall, who made his 10th journey from Victoria to Sydney in 2017.
“I don't fly, I drive, so tonight is the 10th time I have made the 22 hours round trip since the National Futurity series at Wenty in late January,” Geall said.
“If Up Hill Jill qualifies for the Peter Mosman final on June 17, she will be contesting her sixth group race. She won the Sandown Laurels, was runner-up to Striker Light in the National Futurity, and was a finalist in the Richmond Oaks, Warrnambool Classic and Crown Sapphire. And before she won the Laurels Up Hill Jill had won four other feature races, so she has been a marvel.”
Aston Dee Bee, trained in Victoria by Seona Thompson leading up to Saturday night's heats, went home with Thompson's friend, leading Sydney trainer Jason MACKAY, after his race.
Aston Dee Bee's win was outstanding as the greyhound dwelt at the start and collided when attempting to move wide at the first turn. He swept around the pacemakers to hit the front leaving the back straight and won by eight lengths.
“Aston Dee Bee likes to be drawn wide and when he gets the right box he is capable of running 29.60 around Wenty,” MACKAY said.
Yankee's Ethics had been unplaced in two low grade races at Wentworth Park before his strong finishing win to run down odds-on favourite Chevy King in his Peter Mosman heat.
After the race Gavin Smith, whose son David owns and trains Yankee's Ethics, said is now convinced the greyhound is better drawn out wide.
“From box eight tonight Yankee's Ethics was able to get room to move, have a good look at where his rivals were at the first turn, and then was able to dart across to the fence to make his run,” Smith said.
Shock of the night was the late scratching of Falcon's Fury from the Peter Mosman Classic, with the greyhound withdrawn by the stewards due to weight variation.
Falcon's Fury had weighed 32.8 kilograms in last week's Wagga Cup but tipped the scales at 34.1kg on Saturday.
A steward told me that Falcon’s Fury’s trainer Paul Braddon could not explain the sudden weight rise and said that in his many decades as a trainer he had not previously had a greyhound scratched due to weight variation.
She's Grand, who once could not see out the Wentworth Park 520m trip, notched her seventh win in 17 starts at headquarters when she ran down Ladies Bracelet winner Dawn Mini to take out the Ladbrokes Monthly Medal Final in 30.08.
“She's Grand was a couple of months too old for the Peter Mosman but I don't know what I will do with her now,” trainer Rodney O'Brien said.
“I will probably nurse her along for the rest of the year because I would love to have a crack at the Golden Easter Egg with She's Grand in 2018.”
