Knighthood, narrow runner-up to fastest heat winner Feral Franky in Friday night's Richmond Riches series, is fortunate to be racing, let alone competing at top rank level.
Knighthood fractured a shoulder at six months of age after trainer Peter Lagogiane has bought him as a puppy at the Richmond greyhound auction.
"I decided to persevere with him, he was such a beautiful dog,'' Lagogiane said.
"Although he led clearly and was run down by Feral Franky on Friday, I was happy with Knighthood's performance.
"He was having his first start in a race, he had not previously been trialled in a full field and the Richmond experience was the first time he had been kennelled for so long.
"Knighthood flew in a 535m performance trial at Richmond on April 24, clocking 30.50sec, and was run down and beaten narrowly in 30.58 on Friday, best time of the night.
"I was surprised he got a bit wide in his Richmond Riches heat as he has not done that previously in trials.
"But maybe being a full field spooked him a little so I think Knighthood is going to develop into a good young greyhound.''
Semi-finals of the Richmond Riches will be held next Friday.
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Cawborne Marty and Winlock Huddy ran slashing trials for next Friday's heats of the Graeme Hull Memorial Cup at Wagga with near record breaking performances there last Friday.
Winlock Huddy, trained by JODIE Lord, made the pace but found his kennelmate Cawborne Marty too strong at the end of 525m, and went under by a neck.
Lord, based at Gunning, completed the trifecta in Friday's third and fourth grade event, with Show Business just under four lengths away third.
Cawborne Marty's time of 30.20sec compared well with the course record of 30.07, established nearly six years ago by Chilly Babe.
Winlock Huddy's close second placing also put him well in touch with the previous time standard.
The trip to Wagga was lucrative for the Lord family as JODIE's husband Andy trained two of three heat winners of the Caltex on Fernleigh Maiden Series over 320m.
He qualified for the final with Miss Money Bags, a 19 months old daughter of the Lords' former top class all distance bitch Masgic Earner, and and a slightly older dog, Third Exit.
Miss Money Bags led throughout from box eight in 18.30, just .32sec outside course record time, while Third Exit "came out running'' for an all-the-way win in 18.38sec.
The other heat was taken out by Zulu Venom in 18.75.
"Miss Money Bags is going to develop into a smart little greyhound but Third Exit surprised me,'' Andy Lord said.
"I expected Miss Money Bags to go fast early but in his trials Third Exit had given me the impression he might eventually become a middle distance dog, so for him to jump in front and run quick time over 320m was a surprise.
"The experience on the will do my dogs a lot of good as like Goulburn, Wagga is a course that most greyhounds need to have a look at before they contest an important race.''
Heats of the Graeme Hull Memorial Wagga Cup will be held on Friday with the $13,000 to the winner final on May 24.
