When Lindsay Niccol approached breeder Barry Ward to buy two pups from champion brood bitch Solar Park he was given first choice and selected Feral Franky and Freaky Franky.
Niccol, who was buying the then two months old youngsters for his daughter Lyndall McIntyre, received that privilege for his loyalty to Ward.
"When I first started breeding greyhounds Lindsay Niccol was a good client so now he gets first pick from any litter I breed,'' Ward, a former star Canterbury Bulldogs rugby league forward.
The Raymond Smith-trained Feral Franky (pictured), by Collision from Solar Pak, ran down boom puppy Knighthood to win his heat of the Richmond Riches in a smart 30.58 before over-powering the same greyhound in a sizzling 30.50 in last week's semi-final.
Feral Franky's litter brother and kennelmate Freaky Franky is in this week's final after finishing second to My Bro's Ethics in a 30.95 semi-final.
"Freaky Franky has box six in the final and that will suit him because he is a wide runner but obviously Feral Franky, from box three, looks the one to beat,'' Niccol said.
Although Niccol was given first choice of the Collision-Solar Pak litter whelped in April, 2017, Londonderry trainer Frank Hurst has not done too badly with the trio he obtained from the same mating.
Good Odds Meghan and Good Odds Buddy are fastest qualifiers for Friday's Graeme Hull Memorial Wagga Cup final while their litter brother Good Odds Harada took out the recent group 3 Bob Payne Sprint final at Wentworth Park.
Good Odds Harada and Good Odds Meghan have each won nine from 22 starts while Good Odds Buddy, according to Hurst the quickest of the trio, has won seven from 18 races.
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VETERAN Fran Sannette gave retired police officer Kevin Brennan his biggest win as a greyhound trainer when she took out Sunday's Muswellbrook Cup final.
Fran Sannette, who turns five in August, had led throughout to win her 429m heat on May 12 by 12 lengths in a near record 24.95 before overcoming trouble and landing the final in 25.70.
"She had box one in her heat and led all the way but drew box six in the final and got caught up in traffic before finishing strongly to win,'' Brennan said.
"I retired after 27 years in the police force in 2002 but have been interested in the sport since 1975 when my father Keith won the Chief Havoc Memorial at Gunnedah with a greyhound he had purchased from Tony Duke, who raced the champions Rose Moss and Mister Moss.
"I bought my first dog, Zara Sannette, from Taree breeder Kevin Johnson in 1977 and also bought Fran Sannette as an unraced greyhound from Kevin.
"Two weeks after I bought her Mike Baird announced the sport was to be banned so I was naturally shattered.
"Thankfully that decision was over-turned and Fran Sannette has won 17 races, including a near record performance over 457m at Wauchope, while she was beaten a nose by Shearer's Ugg in last year's Taree Cup.
"Despite her age, Fran Sannette, who has won a TAB race at Maitland, is racing as well as ever, so she obviously doesn't know her birthday.''
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THERE have not been many more tenacious competitors in recent years than the Raymond Smith-trained Brad Hill Billy so it's no surprise Irinka Sadie, the first of his offspring to step onto a racetrack, looks the goods.
Irinka Sadie, named after Smith's great-niece, won a 400m performance trial at Dubbo on Sunday in 22.58, just .20sec outside the course record.
"The hillbillies could be coming to town soon,'' quipped Smith after the trial.
"Brad Hill Billy has been mated with a dozen bitches and is still at my place at FORBES, where he has been since coming to me from Tasmania in early 2015,'' Smith said.
Brad Hill Billy won six of 19 Tasmanian races before owner Joe Pringle sent him to the mainland, and the dog retired in May, 2017, with a marvellous record of 35 wins and 37 placings from 94 starts, including several successes over 520m and 720m at Wentworth Park.
* Photo courtesy of Lachlan of Redden Photos.
