Sydney's most improved greyhound Catch Me Curly continued his remarkable winning streak for new trainer Jason Magri by taking out Saturday night's $9800 to the winner Ladbrokes Monthly Medal final at Wentworth Park.
Despite facing his toughest test so far, Catch Me Curly began smartly from box five and led throughout, holding off a late rush by Ritza Lenny to score by a neck in 30.73 second.
Heavily backed favourite Black Forge lost no admirers in finishing just over a length back in third position, as he had bungled the start.
Catch Me Curly has now had eight runs for Magri in 2018 with Saturday's performance taking his tally to five wins and a third from eight starts.
After the race Magri said: "I think Darren Sultana's dog (Black Forge) helped my bloke because when he checked off Catch Me Curly's heels on the back straight he baulked Ritza Lenny, who was in third spot and making up ground.''
Training honours on Saturday night were with FORBES trainer Ray Smith, whose dedication in making the nine hours round trip to Wentworth Park most Wednesdays and Saturdays was rewarded with a winning double.
Smith's up-and-coming stayer Irinka Leeane scored her third Wentworth Park 720m win in as many appearances by running down Yankee's Ethics, scoring by over two lengths in 43.93.
Irinka Leanne's kennelmate Little Digger, relishing the small field of six in the 520m Free-For-All, came from third on the home turn to win by a length from pacemaker Blazin' Carter.
"The heavy track suited Little Digger, who is very strong at the finish,'' Smith said.
"Irinka Leanne clocked the equivalent of 22 lengths below her best time, that's how heavy the track was, but she got the job done.''
Lagoon Rhett, who broke the 30 second barrier in a 520m trial at Wentworth Park as a puppy, could be headed for a future in longer races following his runaway seven lengths win in Saturday's opening event.
"Because Lagoon Rhett had to have the first joint of a toe taken off he has taken a while to find his top form again,'' Ray Webster, whose wife Sharron owns and trains the dog, said at Wentworth Park.
"That problem also affected a tendon in the toe but he has regained his confidence now, although we are likely to send him to Victoria for a middle distance campaign shortly.''
Time honours over 520m on Saturday were shared by Poppa Ogg, who led throughout in 30.69 and the Mark Gatt-trained Kingsbrae Cheeko, who overcame a poor start before roaring away for an easy win in identical time.
Poppa Ogg, who has now won 14 of 31 races for trainer Barbara Spackman, missed the Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg series in March due to a minor setback.
"He was probably short of a run when he faded to finish fourth at Wenty on May 5 but I was proud of him tonight,'' Spackman said.
"I thought the heavy track might pull him up a bit when he was zipping along in the lead but he lost very little ground in the run home.''
Beat The Bank was beaten in her first 11 Wentworth Park races but after breaking through to win on Wednesday, made it two in a row on Saturday.
The Kerry Drynan owned, trained and bred bitch came from seventh at the first turn and fourth on the back straight to win by six lengths in 30.84.
"The soft surface and the fact that Beat The Bank likes runs in the middle of the track, where the going was better, was in her favour tonight,'' Drynan said.
See you next week!
