An impressive performance by True Talent at Wentworth Park on Saturday night is likely to earn the greyhound a return to Melbourne for the heats of the National Sprint Championship at Sandown on August 2.
True Talent's owners sent to the dog to NSW trainer Jason MACKAY in June and, after winning twice at Maitland, the greyhound scored a first-up win at Wentworth Park on July 7.
After being fourth early, True Talent was second going through the catching pen and took the lead on the back straight before winning easily in a sizzling 29.77sec.
Although True Talent is now trained in NSW, he has not been domiciled long enough to represent the state in the Championship series.
"If he is to start in the Championship series I will have to take him back to Melbourne for the heats at Sandown,'' MACKAY said.
"We have not seen the best of True Talent here because when he was racing in Victoria his forte was exploding from the starting boxes.
"But in a trial at Wenty and a race there he has not really nailed the start.''
Victoria's state final of the Championship is at Sandown on August 9 while the NSW heats and final are at Wentworth Park on August 4 and 9. The grand final is scheduled for Sandwn on August 24.
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TRACEY Scruse, trainer of Maitland's new 450m record holder Pindari Express, is a third generation hobby trainer.
Scruse's sensational unbeaten greyhound returns to the Maitland track tomorrow (Thursday) where he has drawn box seven in the 450m MTW Lodge Cup final.
Pindari Express set a new course record of 24.59sec when he won his heat last week.
Scruse - pictured with Pindari Express after his track record win last week - trains at Chifley, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, and has only Pindari Express in work.
"My grandfather Jack Scruse trained greyhounds as did my dad, also called Jack,'' Scruse said.
"I bought Pindari Express as a three months old puppy but I would not have been able to afford to buy him had the Baird government greyhound ban not been looming.
"The puppy dropped in price because the future of the sport was so uncertain and a lot of people did not want to invest in buying greyhounds.
"Exercising greyhounds in heavily populated suburbs like Chifley can be difficult so I take Pindari Express out for his walks very early in the morning and early in the afternoon.
"I have had a lot of good friends with greyhounds in this area, including Alfie Hayes, who trained Travel Rev, the champion Harold Park stayer of the early 1970s, and Michael Stefan, whose dog Mighty Aussie won the 1975 NSW St Leger, now known as the Paws Of Thunder.
"The late Mickey Traino, who trained out of Matraville, was also a close friend and I actually transport Pindari Express to the races in Mick's old van.
"My dog got his name because my father trained a good dog called Dark Pindari several years ago.''
Scruse is planning to bring Pindari Express to Wentworth Park for the first time in the not too distant future.
