An imposing lineup of youngsters with the potential to be Wentworth Park stars will launch their Group race careers in four heats of the Ladbrokes Puppy Classic at Nowra Monday night.
They will be chasing a position in two 520m semi-finals on April 23, with the first four home in each of those races qualifying for the $25,000 to the winner Group 3 final a week later.
Top local trainer CHRIS O'Brien holds a strong hand in the heats with siblings Gascoigne in heat one, Banjo Tifia in heat two and Blocker Tifia, at this stage the family's ace performer, in heat four.
Each of O'Brien's youngsters were produced by Tifia, who won the 2012 Group 3 Wentworth Park Magic Maiden final for the Nowra trainer.
"I would love to win this race because my dog Bulkender reached the 2016 final but drew box eight and found trouble from his wide draw and finished fourth,'' O'Brien said.
"He has gone on to win 20 races, including four at Wentworth Park.
"Blocker Tifia split the webbing on his foot in the Group 3 New Sensation final at Wentworth Park on March 31 but is fit again and trialled a smart 22.54 over 400m at Bulli on Wednesday.
"Banjo Tifia won over 365m at Nowra at her first run after a break and when I trialled her over 472m against Bulkender at Bulli last week he beat her by less than a length in 26.36.
"Gascoigne won the Les Thompson Memorial over 520m at Nowra in January, beating a smart dog in Chew The Fat, and I have always had a big opinion of him.
"Gascoigne resumed from a spell at Bulli on April 7 but bungled the start and finished third.''
Black Forge, who has won five of nine starts for trainer Darren Sultana, makes his first appearance on a two-turn track in heat one of the Puppy Classic.
"I trialled Black Forge at Nowra on Monday and he clocked 30.20 despite losing the first corner,'' Sultana said.
"Going on his strong finishing win over 472m at Bulli on March 31 I don't think Black Forge will have trouble running out the 520m and last Monday's Nowra experience should do him the world of good.''
Sultana's father Vic has Sky Wave in box one in heat three of the Classic and Darren Sultana expects her to go close to winning.
"Although dad's greyhound has only had a win and a third in three starts back from a spell she is actually going better than ever,'' Darren said.
"She won eight of her first 12 races but then went a bit sour so my father gave her two months off.''
Like Black Forge, Sanjiro has raced exclusively on one turn tracks but his trainer Mark Gatt is confident the greyhound will cope with the tighter Nowra circuit when he exits box five in heat two.
"Sanjiro did not handle Nowra all that well when I gave him a box-to-box trial last week but the experience will benefit him immensely,'' Gatt said.
"Sanjiro has had three wins and a second from four starts, all at Bulli, and he has a big motor.
"I have a high opinion of him but whether he goes on with it to reach top grade remains to be seen.''
Gatt was Wentworth Park's leading trainer in 2017 and Dean Swain, who won the premiership in 2016, has one of his kennel stars, Styles, in box one in heat four of the Nowra Classic.
"Styles takes 20 or 30 metres to hit top speed but then he really takes off,'' Swain said.
"He has not seen the Nowra track but that should not worry him, especially from the rails box.
"Styles has won seven of his 16 races and is a tenacious chaser who should improve on whatever he does in the heats.''
Tiny Laurie's Sticka, who tips the scales at a whippet-like 23kg, has drawn box six in opposition to Styles.
"She has not been to Nowra but I entered Laurie's Sticka because she is the right age for this race and has a good turn of early speed,'' trainer Simon Ma said.
