Fastest heat winner Miley Nismo will be all the rage after drawing box one in next Saturday's Wentworth Park final of the Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal for bitches but the dogs' equivalent, the Vic Peters Classic, also a Group 1, is wide open.
Miley Nismo (pictured), owned and trained by Nichole and Tony Mason of Brandy Hill in the Hunter Valley, led throughout to win her Mosman Opal heat in 29.67, running home in a sensational 11.63.
Victorian raider Aston Peregrine, from the strong Paul Abela kennels, came from second in the middle stages to win her heat in 29.77 with Flossing, another Victorian, successful in 30.04 and Zipping Truvy from the Rob Tyler yard, coming from a long way back to score in 30.24.
After Miley Nismo, who had box two in her heat, had drawn the rails in the final, Tony Mason was so ecstatic he was almost lost for words.
But wife Nichole said: "Tony quit work a year ago to concentrate on making a success of being a professional greyhound trainer on a new property we had bought at Brandy Hill.
"He works so hard with the dogs, he deserves the credit for any success that comes our way.''
After Zipping Truvy had been skittled at the first turn and staged an astonishing performance to win her Mosman heat, trainer Rob Tyler posed the question: "She is in a Group 1 final after having just three starts for three wins.
"Has any other greyhound achieved this?''
Zipping Truvy's owner Marty Hallinan said: "She has drawn box two in the final and being positioned near the rails gives her a chance.''
Flying Amy Classic winner Feral Franky, NSW's number one greyhound at present, did not let his army of fans down when he staged a typically tenacious performance to set the time standard in the four Vic Peters heats.
Feral Franky, who had box two, overcame a check at the first turn to run down longshot Kid Candle, who ran the race of his life to make the pace to the home bend.
Feral Franky stopped the clock at 29.78 for the 520m, but his final prospects took a hit when he came up with box five next Saturday.
Second fastest Vic Peters heat winner was Mister Harlewood, from Victorian Jeff Britton's kennels, with a 29.87 all-the-way victory over Cawborne Marty.
The other Vic Peters heats were taken out by Show Business, who led throughout in 30.00 for Jodie Lord, and Peter Carr's Charlie Casey in 30.10.
The prized rails box in the final has gone to Kid Candle, who is trained by Geoff Grimwood for a syndicate of four owners headed by Brad Timmins, a cousin of leading Sydney trainer Christine Oldfield.
Jeff Britton and his partner Angela Langton took out the Group 1 National Futurity at Wentworth Park in January with Circle Of Dreams, and they had a night to remember last Saturday.
They have qualified for the Peter Mosman with Flossing and Mepunga Frankie and got Mister Harlewood, Western Envoy and Weblec Jack into the Vic Peters final.
Box draw for the Peter Mosman is: 1 Miley Nismo 2 Zipping Truvy 3 Start A Riot 4 Flossing 5 Aston Peregrine 6 Really Unreal 7 Mepunga Frankie 8 Vouchers with reserves Fancy Francene and Snazzy Ethics.
Vic Peters box draw is: 1 Kid Candle 2 Cawborne Marty 3 Charlie Casey 4 Show Business 5 Feral Franky 6 Western Envoy 7 Mister Harlewood 8 Weblec Jack with reserves Spearhead and Good Odds Harada.
