UNBEATEN country bitch Midnight Dare came to Wentworth Park on Saturday night with a massive reputation and more than lived up to expectations with one of the most impressive debuts seen at headquarters.
The David Pringle owned, trained and bred sensation was undefeated in three bush races before taking out Saturday's 520m fifth grade by 11 lengths in an electrifying 29.55sec, figures almost unheard of for a 26 months old rookie.
Midnight Dare was second early but grabbed the lead approaching the first turn and careered away, posting an amazing run home time of 11.49sec.
Trainer Pringle now plans to enter Midnight Dare for a Golden Easter Egg prelude in a bid to qualify his remarkable youngster for the heats of that group 1 Wentworth Park race on April 6.
South coast trainers Judith and John Richardson landed their first metropolitan double since entering the sport in the 1990s when litter brothers Sunburnt City and Sunburnt Highway were successful at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The Richardsons went within an ace of a treble when those siblings' litter sister Sunburnt Opal made the pace in a later race, only to be run down by the Mick Hardman-trained Nangar Kash.
Sunburnt City dwelt at the start but railed into second place going through the pen before taking the lead leaving the back straight and hanging on to score by a head from the luckless Cawbourne Marty, who had stumbled and almost fell, at box rise.
Sunburnt Highway was particularly impressive, jumping cleanly from box five and leading throughout to defeat Eye Rock by a length in a slick 29.99sec.
After the race John Richardson said: "Sunburnt Highway has been trialling the place down but in his race at Wentworth Park a week earlier he bungled the start and wound up fourth.
"Because of that we decided we would let him watch the pre-race stir-up tonight and maybe that helped him jump well.
"We had not given Sunburnt Highway a stir-up for 12 months, because he is so mad keen, but we figured after he missed the kick last week it might do him good.''
Nangar Kash, who resumed from a spell to win at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night, backed up well to run down Sunburnt Opal in a nippy 30.04 on Saturday.
After the race Nangar Kash's part-owner Ray Tanti said: "We are over the moon, that was his eighth Wentworth Park win, a terrific effort.
"Nangar Kash has terrific field sense, if he sees a gap he will take out.
"But if a rival is on the fence, Nangar Kash pulls out to go around the other dog, he is pretty smart.''
Boom Victorian dog Jebrynah faded into fourth place behind Zombie after being sent out an odds-on favourite for his Wentworth Park debut on Saturday night.
The Allan Manwaring-trained Zombie is proving a real giant-killer, winning races with her early speed.
On Saturday she rocketed out of box seven and led throughout, posting quick early splits of 5.48 and 13.83 before holding on to defeat Feral Franky by a length in a fast 30sec.
"She is a wonderful front-running bitch, and only the top rung of greyhounds are better than her,'' a beaming Allan Manwaring said after the race.
Trainer Frank Hurst was unlucky not to take out a double, winning with Good Odds Buddy and finishing third with that dog's litter brother Good Odds Harada.
Good Odds Buddy ran down Kiarni Velvet to win in 30.07 while Good Odds Harada missed the start hopelessly and came from last to finish third, beaten just over three lengths by winner Nangar Panda, who clocked a fast 29.97
