Raw Ability took his earnings to $225,000 with his win in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder final at Wentworth Park, a remarkable tally for a greyhound which was a gift as a puppy.
Riverstone breeder and trainer Jacqueline Davis presented fellow trainer Anthony Azzopardi with Raw Ability in return for his friendship and assistance he had given her with her greyhounds.
"Anthony promised me that if Raw Ability came good he would look after me and he has certainly done that,'' Davis said.
Raw Ability took out last year's Group 1 Adelaide Cup and made it a brace of Group 1 victories with his defeat of Queenslander Slick and hot favourite Up Hill Jill on Saturday night.
While Raw Ability had dwelt at the start before winning his Paws Of Thunder heat in 29.92, he began brilliantly in Saturday night's final went into the first turn head-and-head with Up Hill Jill.
But Raw Ability, who had box four, had the inside running and held Up Hill Jill, who had drawn five, off the track and came away to win clearly.
Slick, who was third to the back straight, cut the gallant Up Hill Jill out of second prizemoney in the straight.
The winner covered the 520m in 29.86, well outside the race record set by the Robert Britton-trained Iona Seven at 29.56 in 2014.
Britton did not have a starter in the Thunder but his bonny bitch Fanta Bale lifted her earnings to $1,178,475 with yet another group race success in Saturday night's Summer Plate over 720m.
Fanta Bale began fairly from box one but was soon in command and displaying what Britton describes as her incredible "will to win'' scored by just on three lengths from the wonderful Ebby Ripper, who came from the back of the field to nudge Scott Keeping out of second placing.
Fanta Bale's time was 42.25, matching her previous best figures for the Wentworth Park 720m trip.
Royal Turbo, having his sixth start in three weeks, maintained his "iron dog'' image with an all-the-way win in the listed The Collerson, over 520m.
Royal Turbo, bought for $10,000 as an unraced juvenile, gave rookie owner Glen Hogan from Canberra another big race win.
Fellow part owner Glen McKinley, the greyhound's trainer, explained: "Glen Hogan had not owned a greyhound and wanted to buy Royal Turbo but could not find someone to split the $10,000 purchase fee.
"He phoned me and I agreed to pay $5000 and train the dog for us, and now Royal Turbo, the 2016 Group 3 Christmas Gift winner, has won 14 races at Wentworth Park and amassed $130,000 prizemoney.
Up Hill Jill's trainer David Geall picked up a consolation prize on Saturday night when his youngster My Redeemer led throughout for a five lengths win in a 520m fifth grade, clocking a slick 29.96.
"I was disappointed when I trialled My Redeemer at Wenty last week and he only clocked 30.37,'' Geall said.
"I had expected him to break 30 seconds and if he had not performed so well tonight I would not have persevered with my plan to bring him back to Wentworth Park for next week's heats of the group one Ladbrokes National Derby.''
The Jason Mackay-trained Aston Duke and Little Digger, from the Ray Smith kennels, also earned a tilt at next Saturday's Derby heats with their wins at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
See you next week!
