Kong will target the world's richest greyhound race - the $420,000 Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Sandown - following his outstanding win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Trained at Pelaw Main in the Hunter Valley by Cheryl Murray, Kong trailed the speedy Mack Tux to the back straight before careering away to win a free-for-all by five lengths.
Kong sped over the 520m on a track which was not lightning fast in 29.90, which compared well with his personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.68.
After the race Murray's husband Michael revealed Kong had trialled twice at Sandown since finishing fourth in a heat of the Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top at LADBROKES GARDENS on August 18.
“We were always looking at the Melbourne Cup heats on November 17 as a long-range goal so we took Kong to Sandown for pre-Cup experience but he did not go as well as expected,” Murray said.
“We were perplexed so asked Anthony Azzopardi, the former Sydney trainer who is now among Melbourne's top conditioners, to check the dog over. Anthony found some soreness, told us what to do, and just before tonight's race Kong trialled as fast as he has ever gone in a trial on a local track.”
Toronto trainer Peter Tobin, who has only three greyhounds in work, landed a winning Wentworth Park double on Saturday night when Ariya led throughout in a 5th grade race and Max Cady came from second early to take out a similar race.
“My only previous winning double at Wentworth Park was in March, 2014, when I won with Envy and Hurricane Beccy. And Hurricane Beccy is the mother of Ariya,” Tobin said.
“I was surprised that Max Cady won tonight in 30.48 while Ariya took 30.51 to win, because Ariya is a few lengths quicker than him. But Ariya was having only her second start in a month so will improve as she acquires more race fitness.”
Punters were stunned when Metro Princess, usually a slow beginner, jumped in front and led throughout in Saturday's opening event.
Metro Princess, noted for her strength at the end of 520m, was never going to lose after leading clearly around the first turn, stopping the clock at 30.46.
“I have a set of starting boxes at home so have been giving her box practice in the hope of getting her to come forward and begin better,” Metro Princess trainer Phil Cini said after the win.
“She certainly did that tonight but whether it was due to the box work or just a fluke we won't know until she next races.”
Saturday's 4/5th grade event over 720m was expected to be a match between odds-on favourite Ebby Ripper and Sherbini and the race went to script. And it was the Mark Gatt-trained Sherbini who prevailed over Michael Eberand's Ebby Ripper, with the winner coming from behind the favourite to score comfortably.
Ebby Ripper looked all over a winner when she surged along the rails towards the lead coming to the home turn, just as Sherbini joined in on the outside.
But the tiring pacemaker Frekey hampered Ebby Ripper slightly and Sherbini swept around that duo to wrest the lead half-way down the straight and draw away to win in 42.66.
See you next week!
