UP and coming Sydney-owned stayer White Sox Ethics is set to be a surprise starter in Thursday night's heats of the group 1 Bold Trease at Melbourne's Sandown.
Owned by David Smith and trained by retired butcher Peter Mantach, White Sox Ethics has been a revelation at Wentworth Park and Dapto in recent weeks.
She stopped the clock at a blistering 42.19sec when she won over 720m at Wentworth Park on October 17 and posted 43.10sec winning at Dapto over 729m eight nights later.
In the Dapto win White Sox Ethics gave promising stayer Taken King a dozen lengths start and beat him by two-and-a-half lengths.
"It didn't surprise me that she ran him down because White Sox Ethics holds the Dapto 729m record of 42.78sec,'' Mantach said.
White Sox Ethics will head to Melbourne with Hunter Valley trainer Jason MACKAY, who is taking True Talent (pictured) and Aston Duke to Sandown on Thursday for the final round of Preludes before the Melbourne Cup heats on November 16.
The Bold Trease heats will be held on the same night as the 515m Cup qualifiers with the long-distance final, worth $105,000 to the winner, over 715m at Sandown a week later.
Aston Duke earned a tilt at the Cup Preludes by running down noted strong finisher Buck's Future over 520m at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.
"Aston Duke's second behind his kennelmate True Talent at Wenty on October 27 was his best run in a long while but Wednesday's effort was even better,'' MACKAY said.
"He has got a new lease of life and is going a lot better than he was a couple of months ago.
"Buck's Future has won over 600m and is particularly strong, so to give him a big start on the back straight and edge him out on the line was an excellent chasing performance.''
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White Sox Ethics' owner David Smith is also sending Yankee's Ethics, which he trained to win over 720m at Wentworth Park in 42.58sec in June, to Melbourne for the Bold Trease.
"Melbourne trainer Geoff Collins is going to give Yankee's Ethics a crack at the Bold Trease for me,'' Smith said.
"I don't know if Yankee's Ethics is up to Bold Trease standard but there are no suitable races for the dog in Sydney at present.''
Yankee's Ethics may not be quite as quick as Ethics">White Sox Ethics but did clock a very slick 42.26sec when chasing home Veloce Nero over 720m at Wentworth Park on October 3.
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INJURIES may have forced boom Sydney sprinter Pindari Express out of the Melbourne Cup but her litter sister Dolly Mac has got her career off to a flying start.
Now trained in Victoria by ex-Sydneysider Anthony Azzopardi, Dolly Mac has won her first three starts, over 450m at Ballarat and Shepparton, then at The Meadows, where she led throughout over 525m on October 31 in 29.78sec, fastest time of the day.
Dolly Mac's Ballarat and Shepparton times of 25.10sec and 25.02sec compared well with the records for those circuit.
Like Pindari Express, she is by Fabregas from Brook's Doll, but while Tracey Skruse owns the latter greyhound, Susan McCann races Dolly Mac.
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Sammy Allen is poised to return to Wentworth Park after an impressive first-up win over 520m at Dapto on Thursday night.
The Simon Rhodes-trained bitch, having her first start since a seasonal condition put her on the sidelines in late August, came from a distant second on the back straight to win in a nippy 30.27sec.
"Sammy Allen has won three races at Wenty and is ready to come back there while Dyna Aviator, who won over 297m at Dapto on Thursday, will also head back to town shortly,'' Rhodes said.
"Dyna Aviator, who has also won three races at Wentworth Park, was only having his second start since an injury put him out of action in early August.''
