Crack Victorian trainer Robert Britton, whose champion stayer Fanta Bale will be an odds-on favourite in Saturday night's Group 2 Summer Plate at Wentworth Park, will field three outstanding prospects in heats of the Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby and Futurity on January 27.
Britton's greyhounds earned well over $2 million in stakes last year and Fanta Bale seems to have Saturday's $40,000 first prizemoney in the bank after drawing ideally in box one.
And before the first race at Wentworth Park last Saturday, Britton trialled his trio of Derby and Futurity candidates.
Finals of the Derby, for male greyhounds whelped on or after October 1, 2015, and the Futurity, the equivalent Group 1 event for females, will be staged at Wentworth Park on February 3.
In last Saturday's trials Fernando Express indicated he could be Britton's trump card when he went solo over 520m and stopped the clock at a blistering 29.85.
Considering just two greyhounds, Slick and Up Hill Jill, recorded faster times in heats of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder that night, Fernando Express' time was remarkable.
It came as no surprise to kennel foreman Peter Riley who said: "Fernando Express is an outstanding youngster.''
The dog has had seven wins and six placings from 19 starts and has won in a brilliant 29.86 over 525m at The Meadows.
Britton also trialled his other Derby hope, Benali, against his Futurity nomination, Slingshot Gypsy, over 520m at Wentworth Park.
Slingshot Gypsy led to the catching pen, clocking a slick 5.48, but Benali, racing wide, headed her on the back straight and ran home to win clearly in a smart 11.82, recording a nippy overall time of 30.02.
Benali's 16 races have yielded seven wins and seven placings, including a scorching 29.24 performance at Sandown.
Slingshot Gypsy is no slouch either as she has had four wins and four placings from eight outings and has clocked 22.40 over 400m at Geelong and a tidy 29.77 at Sandown.
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Not so happy with his National Derby candidate's trial at Wentworth Park last Saturday was Victorian trainer David Geall, whose champion Up Hill Jill scored her 31st win in 58 starts in a Paws Of Thunder heat last Saturday night.
Geall sent Up Hill Jill's younger half-brother My Redeemer over 520m at Wentworth Park and was dejected when the greyhound recorded the fair time of 30.37.
"I expected My Redeemer to break 30 seconds so I am really disappointed with how he went,'' Geall said.
"The dog did have a hard run at Cranbourne on Wednesday so maybe that run flattened him.
"I had actually wanted to hand-slip him post-to-post at Wenty because it was only three days after the Cranbourne race but the rules did not permit that.
"I will give My Redeemer another race in Melbourne but if he doesn't perform the way I know he can I will scrap plans to bring him to Sydney for the Derby heats on Saturday week.''
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John Mccarthy, the Queensland trainer whose dog Slick was fastest of the eight heat winners from last Saturday's Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder series at Wentworth Park, migrated from England with a greyhound racing background.
"My father Eddie trained greyhounds in the United Kingdom and raced at famous London tracks like WALTHAMSTOW and HACKNEY,'' Mccarthy said.
HACKNEY opened in 1932 and closed in 1997 while WALTHAMSTOW, affectionately known as "the Stow'' operated from 1933 to 2008.
WALTHAMSTOW, Europe's best known greyhound track, hosted everyone from Sir Winston Churchill to Brad Pitt, and its eatery was so well regarded it earned high praise in London newspapers' restaurant reviews.
The closure of greyhound tracks in the heart of London came because they were privately owned, and with the cost of land prohibitive, the temptation to sell became too great.
