Dennis Barnes had finalists over 10 years without winning the Taylor Family Clarence Valley Sheds Maiden Classic until he took out the 2016 Grafton final with Nangar Range.
He won the Classic again last year with Nangar Warrior and is in the box seat to complete the hat-trick after "Team Barnes'' took out two of last Monday night's six heats.
Barnes has been making the trek from Cudal, in western NSW, to Grafton, on the far north coast, for nearly 30 years and locals joke "we wouldn't start the July carnival without him.''
In next Wednesday night's final Barnes will be represented by Nangar Phantom, who won his 407m heat in second fastest time of 23.32sec, and by son-in-law Chris Spratt's Nangar Fever, third quickest qualifier after winning in 23.36sec.
Before the heats Barnes declared Nangar Phantom the best of his family's three Classic entries but was pleasantly surprised at how well Nangar Fever went.
Nangar Fever is by the Buck Fever from Fancy Nangar while Nangar Phantom is a son of Jagger Swagger and Fancy Lola.
But the dog they all have to beat next Wednesday is the Neil Staines-trained Club Double, who pounced on the lead soon after the start and careered away, winning his heat by eight lengths in a blistering 23.04sec.
Club Double (pictured), trained at Yass by Neil Staines, is raced by a syndicate from South Australia, headed by Eugenio "Jack'' Savaglia.
The dog, a son of Dyna Double One and Stumpy Grant, was bred by Canowindra breeder David Grant who sold Club Double to Savaglia as a puppy.
Grant reared Club Double and when it came time for the dog to begin racing, Savaglia asked him to recommend a trainer in NSW.
Grant unhesitatingly vouched for Staines, and the rest is history.
Club Double's sizzling heat performance was probably even better than it looked because the youngster had not seen the Grafton track before last Monday night.
Staines made the 12 hour trip to Grafton to trial members of his team before the July carnival commenced, but was unable to take Club Double.
"He had been trialling the place down at different tracks but pulled up sore after his final hit-out so when I went to Grafton to trial I had to leave Club Double at home,'' Staines said.
"I have taken some smart maidens to Grafton for the Classic over many years but they have all found a way to get beaten on the night.''
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HIGHLIGHT of Thursday’s Maitland meeting is the reappearance at the Hunter Valley track of undefeated sprint sensation Pindari Express.
The Tracey Scruse-trained greyhound will be chasing his fifth successive win when he exits box two in a heat of the fifth grade 450m MTW Lodge Cup.
Pindari Express started racing with a bang, clocking a near record 22.18 to win a 400m maiden at Bulli, before scoring over 450m at Maitland in a scorching 24.75sec.
He then won a 472m fifth grade at Bulli in a fast 26.11 before recording a slick 26.25 winning a fourth and fifth grade there at his most recent start.
