The bush comes to town on Wednesday with each of the three heat winners in the Goulburn to Wentworth Park Final having a strong connection with rural NSW.
Fastest qualifier Bogan Bomber is owned by Parkes concreter Graham Dixon and trained at Yass by former shearer Neil Staines, Winlock Banking is owned by Kaleb Weekes, a plumber from Molong, and Dandy Dale's trainer Stuart Hazlett is based at Towrang, near Goulburn.
Bogan Bomber covered the Goulburn 440m in 24.81 in his heat, with Dandy Dale clocking 25.03 and Winlock Banking winning in 25.22.
Staines is hoping for an inside draw with Bogan Bomber at Wentworth Park on Wednesday after the dog came from box four to run down Shining Beauty in his heat.
"Goulburn seems to be Bogan Bomber's favourite track but he has twice been runner-up at Wenty so he gets his chance this week, especially if he is boxed near the rails,'' Staines said.
Although Dandy Dale had box eight in his heat win trainer Hazlett said he would prefer to see his greyhound in box one at Wentworth Park.
"In his only city win Dandy Dale had box one so while he can win from the outside I would prefer to see him drawn on the fence,'' Hazlett said.
"I really like box eight from the 440m start at Goulburn because the track kinks slightly to the left from the boxes to the first turn but Wenty is a different matter.''
Winlock Banking, trained at Gunning in the Southern Highlands by Jodie Lord, has by far the most impressive Wentworth Park form, having won at headquarters on May 5 in a slick 30.03, while Dandy Dale took 30.44 in his win at the track.
Neil Staines, 60, who is among the most successful and widely travelled country trainers, quit shearing to concentrate on greyhounds eight years ago.
"I grew up in shearing sheds because my grandfather Harold was a shearer, my father Brian a shearing contractor, and my mother was a shearers' cook,'' Staines said.
"As a five-year-old, growing up in Condobolin, I was always hanging around the sheds but at the same time I became interested in greyhounds because my dad trained a couple as a hobby.
"Whenever the family went south to do some shearing my father would race his dogs at Goulburn and at the old Queanbeyan track.
"At 12 I was earning pocket money exercising greyhounds for my uncle Fred Staines, a successful trainer, and when I left school at 15 I secured a job as a roustabout in the shearing sheds.
"I then became a wool presser and graduated to shearing at 18, when I was also old enough to obtain a greyhound trainer's licence.
"I won over 20 races with my first dog, Mullong's Charm, and have not been without a greyhound since.''
Bogan Bomber's owner, 40-year-old Graham Dixon, became involved with greyhounds at 18 through exercising greyhounds for a neighbour in his home town of Parkes.
"Agni, the dam of Bogan Bomber and his sister Bogan Doonie, won five races for me while trained by Neil Staines,'' Dixon said.
"While Bogan Doonie is a lot quicker than Bogan Bomber and has won four races at Wenty, she is a terrible beginner who finds trouble in her races.''
Stuart Hazlett, trainer of Dandy Dale, grew up in Ingleburn and became fascinated with greyhounds as a boy while riding his pony to his local primary school.
"I used to ride past Mildred and Sonny Gram's property and would pause most mornings to gaze at their greyhounds, which I thought were beautiful animals,'' Hazlett said.
"The Grams, who bred the 1957 Melbourne Cup and 1958 Australian Cup winner Rookie Rebel, along with Wentworth Park record holder Sunview, were customers at my parents' poultry farm.
"So in 1962, when I was 16, Sonny and Mildred gave me my first greyhound, Bright Mariette, who became the grand-dam of the outstanding stayer Gaytilla.
"At 19 I bought my first race dog, Neat Fawn, and Sonny Gram trained him for me to win his maiden race on the old WYONG straight track, breaking the course record in the process.
"My first city winner as a trainer was Kelly Amanda, who I had purChased as a puppy for $700, while she produced Copper Leader, a wonderful little 23kg pocket rocket who won over 720m at Wentworth Park and over 732m at Harold Park for me.''
Twenty four hours after the Goulburn To Wentworth Park Final, Maitland will host the final of the PRD Nationwide Autumn Chase, where Mister Fernando will be all the rage.
The Christine Proctor-trained speedster was the class entry in last Thursday's three heats, having won twice at Wentworth Park where he has broken the 30 second barrier, covering the
520m in 29.98.
Mister Fernando duly won at Maitland in 25.30, fastest time of the 450m qualifying events, with Bugatti Blade (25.51) and Hungry Heart (25.60) the other winners.
When Mister Fernando lines up for Thursday's Autumn Chase final he will striving to enhance his Maitland tally to five wins and three placings from eight starts.
