Saturday night's Wentworth Park racegoers received an unexpected bonus when they got their first glimpse of Kingsbrae Cheeko, who seems destined to become a Group race performer.
Having his first city start for new trainer Mark Gatt, Kingsbrae Cheeko jumped with the leading division from box five but quickly put a huge gap between himself and the second greyhound.
After leading by 10 lengths at the half-way mark, Kingsbrae Cheeko defeated the powerful finisher Watch The Wasp by just over three lengths to make it nine wins from his first 11 starts.
He covered the 520m in 30.16, which compared well with the night's fastest times of 30.08 recorded by Prevail, and the 30.11 and 30.13 posted by Bekin Street and Winsome Mission.
"He is not a brilliant beginner but he has explosive speed once he hits the ground," trainer Mark Gatt said.
Six Sense, who turns four next January, proved herself a dyed-in-the-wool stayer when she overcame a slow start and ran down triple Wentworth Park 720m winner Frekey in Saturday's main long-distance event.
Frekey led to the judge with a lap to go but Six Sense railed underneath her going through the catching pen, and despite colliding heavily with the pacemaker at that point, she won by a length in 42.99.
"The reason I have not put Six Sense over 720m earlier in her career is because she has always had a wrist problem,'' trainer Loretta Rice said. "I wasn't sure if it would stand up to long-distance racing but despite her age she is as sound as she is ever going to be."
Lekey failed to win at her first 10 Wentworth Park starts but she notched her second victory at headquarters in just over two weeks when she ran down Another Kainane in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday.
"Before I started training her Lekey's weight was down to as low as 25.6kg so when I took over her preparation I built her up and she raced at 27.4kg tonight,'' part owner and trainer Lindsay Davis said.
"She has improved out of sight since I have put a bit of weight on her.''
Davis, who reared former champion Keybow for owner Kel Lean, races Lekey in partnership with Lean and has been training for just over three years.
Former harness racing trainer and driver Andrew Crouch had his most successful Wentworth Park meeting since switching to greyhounds when he won with siblings Big Butters and Exultant on Saturday night.
Exultant came from fourth approaching the home turn to storm home and win by a half length while Big Butters began fast for an all-the-way win by three lengths.
Winsome Mission, by far the oldest dog in the race, notched his 11th Wentworth Park win when he easily defeated Effective Comet and Cosmic Bonus in Saturday's Free-For-All, 520m.
Despite the success, Winsome Mission's 25th in 86 races, the four-and-a-half year old veteran is no certainty to contest next month's National Sprint Championship.
"I haven't made up mind yet whether to enter him,'' trainer John Finn said. "He is getting a bit old to be trekking to Brisbane, the venue for this year's final, so I will decide this week whether to put in a nomination.''
See you next week!
