Tod ready to take on Friskey

By Jeff Collerson

One For Tod showed she is ready to take on short course champ Friskey in this week's 280m Neds Friday Night Lightning non-graded series by notching her fifth successive win at Wentworth Park last Friday night.

Friskey has won a remarkable 26 of 38 starts and is unbeaten in three WP 280m races, where her personal best time is 16.08sec.

But One For Tod stopped the clock at 16.04 when she trounced an outstanding field of sprinters on Friday, including top class Queenslander All About Tiger.

Hobby trainer Shane Pulbrook has had the Helen Hanson-owned One For Tod in his Tahmoor kennels for only five weeks but after second placings at her first two starts she has won at Temora, Dapto and Nowra as well as landing the thick end of the prizemoney twice at WP.

"Helen's son Tod and I shared ownership of a smart dog called Wighton, which I trained, so when One For Tod lost form she sent her to me,'' Pulbrook said.

"I believe the change in surroundings turned One For Tod's form around but I was mystified by one of her habits when I got her.

"Whenever I took her out onto the track to race, One For Tod would chomp her teeth, as if she was eating an invisible object.

"I asked Helen about that and she said that One For Tod always did that when she became excited, but that she usually won when she chomped away while going to the starting boxes.

"I have trained dozens of greyhounds but have never seen one do that.

"But One For Tod is the easiest dog I have ever trained, I don't do anything with her, just put her lead and collar on and take her to the races, and she does the rest.''

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SHE's Single earned only an $850 cheque for owner-trainer Lakis Michael when she won over 280m at Wentworth Park last Friday, but for the Pheasants Nest trainer it was like winning a group race.

"She turns four in June but has had so many injury problems it is a miracle she is racing, let alone winning in town,'' Michael said later.

"That's why she has had only 40 starts in her entire career and after one of her injuries my veterinary surgeon declared She's Single would never race again.

"Following one major operation she was dragging her leg for weeks as she walked around the paddock and then she got chewed up by her sister.

"After a bad fall at Nowra on New Year's Eve things didn't look good but she keeps bouncing back, she is a tenacious chaser and has such a big heart.

"This win at Wenty has given me so much pleasure, I'm just so happy for her because she deserved to win a race in town.''

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WESTERN Australian star Campini indicated he is a worthy Golden Easter Egg contender with a sizzling 29.51sec solo trial over 520m, the Egg course, at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

The Paul Stuart-trained youngster has won nine of 15 starts in the west, including a near record 29.48 performance at Perth's Cannington in November.

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Black Forge, who broke his group race hoodoo with his Maitland Gold Cup victory last month, is on target for another big race assignment after winning at Warrnambool last week.

The Darren Sultana-trained speedster won over 450m in the best time of the night at his Warrnambool debut last Wednesday, emerging as a strong prospect in the group 2 Cup series on April 25 and May 2.

Black Forge is a son of Fay and Noel Trowbridge's wonderful producer Hail Queenie, and is owned by their long-time friend Colin Hall.

"Hail Queenie's four litters have so far yielded 220 winners and 220 placegetters and she is still fit as a fiddle, turning 10 next Wednesday,'' Fay Trowbridge said.