JEFF Britton was in Ireland on Saturday but that did not stop the ace Victorian trainer snaring a rare group 1 double at Wentworth Park with Circle Of Dreams landing the Ladbrokes National Futurity and Axel Footluce taking out the National Derby.
Londonderry-based caretaker trainer Christine Proctor handled Futurity winner Circle Of Dreams while her neighbour Chris Carl looked after Axel Footluce, who prevailed in a rough 'n tumble Derby final.
Britton won all three heats of the Futurity and Circle Of Dreams, who had won the group 2 Sandown Laurels Classic in December, led throughout to win the final in 29.86sec.
Dam Slippery, trained in Queensland for Sydney owner-breeder Michael Phillips, was a gallant second, beaten a length, while Oakvale Magic, another of Britton's team, was a distant but luckless third.
Axel Footluce (pictured) had plenty of good fortune in the Derby final as he was slowly away from box five but secured a rails run in a scrimmage at the first turn, emerging on the back straight in second spot behind the Jason Magri-trained outsider Gharb.
After being headed by favourite Fernando Blaster coming to the home turn, Axel Footluce came again in the straight when that greyhound collided on the corner, surging clear to win by one-and-a-half lengths from the Ray Smith-trained outsider Feral Franky.
Smith had won the 2017 Derby with another "roughie'', Big Daddy Bee.
Gharb hung on for third in this year's final, with the winner covering the 520m in a moderate 30.35sec.
The race was marred by extreme jostling at the first bend, where Fantastic Yankee took a tumble and second favourite Rio Brave, along with speedy youngster North, were knocked out of contention.
Rio Brave was especially unlucky as he virtually lost all chance at box rise when Fantastic Yankee, who drew box three, began fast and crossed sharply towards the rails, smashing into Rio Brave, who had come from box two.
The other trainer going home with a winning double on Saturday night was Kemps Creek's Jason Magri, who made punters happy by scoring with odds-on favourites Wicked Thunder and King Cratos.
Wicked Thunder won the opening event in 30.04, leading all the way and scoring by 13 lengths, while WP newcomer King Cratos took his record to four wins from four starts with a front-running 29.89 performance.
"Being in the first race probably helped Wicked Thunder as he is a highly strung dog,'' Magri said.
While King Cratos had not raced at WP Magri's brother Ray said before the race: "He trialled well in a box-to-box hit-out and I think he can run around 29.80 with a clear run.''
Fastest time of the meeting was posted by the Patricia Chaker-trained Hit Record, who prevented Jeff Britton from winning a treble when he ran down the Victorian-trained Crackerjack Skip to score an easy 29.85 win in the 520m Free-For-All.
"Hit Record has always been able to run but he is beginning well at the moment and has come out quickly to win his past three races,'' Chaker said.
Sydney's best stayer Poco Dorado is temporarily sidelined so it was left to her super siblings Blue Moon Rising and Veloce Nero to take out the quinella in Saturday night's top grade 720m race.
The John Finn-trained Veloce Nero led early but kennelmate Blue Moon Rising hit the front with a lap to go and comfortably staved off his sister's late challenge to win by just over a length in a smart 42.17sec.
