The much travelled Hobart Maiden Thousand winner Hunkapapa is among the intriguing greyhounds lining up for Friday night's heats of the $40,000 Richmond Riches.
Trained by Ros Hume for her partner Geoff Collins, Hunkapapa has won five of his seven starts.
"He is a nice dog and made the consolation final of the Group 2 Launching Pad at Sandown in March,'' Collins said.
"Hunkapapa is only young but won't be going into the Richmond series without having gained knowledge of the track.
"He has already had a post-to-post hand-slip and a box-to-box slip around there so has had a couple of looks.''
Hunkapapa went through the prestigious Hobart Maiden Thousand heats, semis and final undefeated, clocking brilliant times for the 461m journey on each occasion.
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Midnight Starlet, winner of the recent Peg & Bill Miller Memorial final over 516m at Dubbo, has trialled in dashing style in preparation for Friday's Richmond Riches heats.
"I realised she wouldn't have the experience of some of her rivals in a race like this so took her to Richmond for a 535 metre trial before deciding whether to nominate,'' trainer David Pringle said.
"When she clocked 30.50 and ran home really fast, my mind was made up.''
Midnight Starlet is yet to win at Wentworth Park but was desperately unlucky when fourth in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden final on March 31 after finding trouble from her unsuitably wide box seven draw.
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Victorian trainer Gavin Burke, who trained champion sprinter Pantera Nera, is bringing his promising youngster Star Of Magic to Richmond for Friday's Riches heats.
Pantera Nera, a brilliant front-runner, won 38 of 71 races and earned over $290,000 in prizemoney.
While Star Of Magic may not be quite in that league, the greyhound has compiled an impressive record in a short career, winning three of six races at Melbourne's two city tracks, Sandown
and The Meadows.
The Richmond series promises to be a cracker with the John Finn-trained quartet of siblings, Queensland Derby winner Two Times Twice, Richmond Maiden Classic winner Poco Dorado, Blue Moon Rising and Veloce Nero, also targeting the event.
Nowra Puppy Classic winner Sky Wave and Rev Fred Sloy, the unplaced hot favourite in the Queensland Derby at Albion Park on April 19, will also contest Friday's heats, along with Dennis
Barnes' Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden winner Nangar Jill and the Wentworth Park event's runner-up, kennelmate Nangar Ace.
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Gratifying to see a good attendance for Saturday night's Alan Evans & Son Jewellers Ladies Bracelet final at Wentworth Park, as the company is the sport's most enduring sponsor.
I happened to bump into Alan Evans after the Bracelet final presentation when he was collecting a winning wager he had placed on Miss Splendamiro, which had been his tip for "his'' race.
"It is now close to 30 years since I began sponsoring this race and I intend to continue, it is always a successful night,'' he said.
The patron's prize of a replica bracelet to the trophy going to connections of the winning greyhound, was taken out by a fan of Up Hill Jill, runner-up in the big race.
A racegoer told me: "I haven't been to Wentworth Park for ages but my wife insisted we come when she discovered her favourite greyhound Up Hill Jill was going to be in action.
"Against my wishes we came and although Jill didn't win, my wife won the valuable bracelet so it has been a night to remember.''
