Ben Hur chases his 13th win in 23 races when he steps out at Bulli tonight in a campaign set to culminate in the Ladbrokes Up For The Challenge final at Wentworth Park.
Ben Hur has box five in tonight's Ladbrokes Info Hub Stakes and trainer George Borg has declared the dog is "flying'' at present.
"I usually trial him up the straight at Appin and his past two 274m hit-outs there have been outstanding, with Ben Hur clocking around the 15.70 mark,'' Borg said.
"After Bulli I plan to nominate Ben Hur for a heat of the Ladbrokes Challenge at Maitland and then enter him for another heat at Bathurst.
"Hopefully he can acquire enough points to make the $20,000 to the winner final at Wentworth Park on June 16.''
Borg, recovering from heart surgery, won a race at Wentworth Park with last Wednesday with Ben Hur's litter sister Independent Rose.
"She is nowhere near as good as her brother but she is handy and because of her bloodlines her owner Ken Klembetsanis plans to breed from her when she retires,'' Borg.
"If she does not make the grade as a brood bitch Independent Rose would make a wonderful pet because I can't remember having a greyhound with such a sweet, beautiful nature.''
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Denis Hogan confirmed his knack with bargain buys when Buenos Tiempos scored his fourth successive win for the Tregear (Sydney) trainer at Maitland on Thursday.
Buenos Tiempos, which Hogan bought for only $2000 late last year, led throughout to win the $3500 to the winner Ladbrokes Monthly Medal final over 400m.
The wide running speedster covered the distance in 22.66, much better than his 22.99 heat win.
Buenos Tiempos showed similar improvement in winning over 350m at Goulburn in consecutive wins before his Maitland double, scoring in 20.04 and then in 20.00.
"He won first up for me at Gosford in December and I have now given him 16 starts for five wins,'' Hogan said.
"Kerry and Doreen Drynan owned and trained him but when they found they had too many dogs they got Mick Hardman to take over Buenos Tiempos' training.
"After he gave him a couple of runs Mick phoned me and advised me to buy Buenos Tiempos because he had heard I was looking for another greyhound.
"I now have three in work including Declared Black, who won over 400m at Richmond earlier this month.
"Buenos Tiempos loves being drawn wide and appreciates big roomy tracks because he once had box one at Canberra and speared off the track at the first turn, taking half the field with him!''
Hogan's most recent Wentworth Park winner was Winsome Sniper, who was an even less expensive purchase than Buenos Tiempos, and scored over 720m in November, 2016.
"Before Winsome Sniper came along I won a dozen races with Bobby Bant, a short course speedster who won over 280m at Wenty and is now the family pet,'' Hogan said.
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Zipping Mitzy will be striving to maintain her unbeaten record in tonight's 472m Ladbrokes Cash In Stakes at Bulli.
The Jason Magri-trained, Marty and Fiona Hallinan-owned speedster, who turns two next month, has clocked fastest time of the night in each of three public appearances.
Zipping Mitzy overcame trouble to win a 472m performance trial at Bulli in 26.39 on March 31 before winning a heat of the much sought after Graham Gibbons Memorial Maiden over the
same course in 26.03.
Zipping Mitzy took out the final in 26.14 and will be all the rage with punters despite tonight's box four draw.
