What a difference a day makes! Trainer Mark Davidson went from the depths of despair to feeling on top of the world within 24 hours early last week.
Davidson's crack sprinter Rusty Memories suffered a serious head injury in a freak accident just a day before the Brandy Hill trainer landed a winning treble with Time Lord, Confinement and Bumpo at Maitland last Tuesday.
Rusty Memories scored his 16th win in 40 starts and notched his sixth Wentworth Park victory on February 24, enhancing his reputation as the "fastest beginner in greyhound racing.''
"I had intended starting Rusty Memories in the Group 2 Richmond Derby heats on March 2 but he collided with another of my dogs, Bumpo, in the paddock,'' Davidson said.
"Bumpo ran towards Rusty Memories and just as he got to him, Rusty turned his head and Bumpo's shoulder came in heavy contact with him.
"I rushed him to my veterinary surgeon who said he had never seen an injury like it, with surgery required to heal a fracture.
"The operation appears to have been a success and I'm hoping I can have Rusty Memories back in time for the Group 2 Maitland Gold Cup heats on April 5.
"Then, after all that drama, I won a treble at Maitland with Time Lord taking his record to four wins from four starts.''
Time Lord was bought by the Punters HQ Syndicate as an unraced youngster from breeder Frank Anderson, whose family bred and raced Ando's Mac, a winner of over $687,000 prizemoney.
When he won over 565m at Maitland last Tuesday, Time Lord stopped the clock at 31.57, just .23sec outside Lochinvar Hugo's course record.
Davidson was also successful with Confinement and Bumpo, who had taken no harm from his collision with Rusty Memories.
"Time Lord was very green when I first got him but he is improving all the time,'' Davidson said.
"I plan to trial him at Wentworth Park to see how he handles that track and to gauge whether his first sectional time is quick enough for him to tackle the New Sensation heats there on March 21.
"That race is for greyhounds with a maximum of 10 wins from no more than 20 starts so would be an ideal event for him providing he is quick enough early to cope.''
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Last Tuesday was a big day for syndicates with the K9 Racers group winning at Goulburn with their Richmond Cannonball victor Hear The Drums.
Trained at Mick Clayton, Hear The Drums took his record to seven wins from his past 10 starts with his success over 440m at Goulburn.
"I'm not certain if Hear The Drums will be able to run 520 metres but I am inclined to think he will,'' Clayton said.
"Early in his career Hear The Drums was too laid back but now he is just the opposite, if anything he is over-the-top.
"He is so keen to get cracking that he starts scratching at the front of the boxes when he is placed in for a race and by doing so can dwell at the start.''
Clayton and K9 Racers, headed by manager Brent Sullivan, won a double at Goulburn with four-year-old Slick Simzy notching his 22nd win at his 76th appearance.
