Harness racing conditioner-turned-greyhound trainer Andrew Crouch dominated Saturday night's NSW heats of the Crocmedia National Sprint Championship, winning each qualifying event at Wentworth Park with Jamella Jet and Sorry Scott.
Jamella Jet (pictured) began smartly from box five and headed Cawborne Marty at the first turn before coming away to win heat one by nearly three lengths in a brilliant 29.76s for the 520m.
Just 21 minutes later Sorry Scott burrowed along the rails approaching the first corner to lead going through the pen, winning heat two by a length from the luckless Miley Nismo in 29.99.
After the races Crouch said: "My son Adam does all the form and keeps our statistics and he was especially confident about Jamella Jet's chances tonight.
"We weren't quite so sure about Sorry Scott but once she led she was always going to be hard to beat.''
Miley Nismo stumbled and almost fell at box rise but found a clear run along the rails to be trailing Sorry Scott going through the catching pem.
Tony Mason, whose wife Nichole trains Miley Nismo, said later: "I still can't work out what happened to our bitch at the start.
"She seemed to slip or knuckle over so we were happy with her effort to get second.''
Box draw for Thursday night's NSW final has thrown the race open, as Frank Hurst's litter brothers Good Odds Harada and Good Odds Buddy have come up with boxes one and two.
Good Odds Harada was third, from box eight, in Sorry Scott's heat on Saturday, while Good Odds Buddy exited box seven when third to Jamella Jet.
The inside draws bring them right into the race, but Andrew and Adam Crouch were happy with Jamella Jet's box three final draw and with Sorry Scott getting box eight.
Andrew Crouch said: "Jamella Jet wants to be drawn near the fence these days so he is well boxed'' while son Adam added: "I'm happy with Sorry Scott in box eight, she should handle that okay.''
Miley Nismo drew five but given her normal clean start, she is capable of being among the leaders at the first turn, as Nangar Blaze (box four) and Nangar Kash (six) are usually not brilliant from the boxes to the corner.
Ebby Ripper's owner-trainer Michael Eberand has had a change of heart regarding the National Distance Championship following his veteran's remarkable win over Blue Moon Rising and Veloce Nero in Saturday night's NSW GBOTA 80th Anniversary Cup, 720m.
Ebby Ripper, who has just turned four-and-a-half years of age, came from fifth on the home bend to win by a length in a slick 42.29, just .17sec outside her personal best Wentworth Park figures posted in October, 2018.
"I wasn't going to enter Ebby Ripper for Thursday's race to decide the NSW representative in the National Distance Championship final in Perth because I really didn't want to go to WA,'' Eberand said.
"But I'll have to enter her now, and if Ebby Ripper is lucky enough to win on Thursday I will be proud to take her over to represent NSW in the Championship final.''
Box draw for Thursday's NSW final of the National Sprint Championship is: 1 Good Odds Harada 2 Good Odds Buddy 3 Jamella Jet 4 Nangar Blaze 5 Miley Nismo 6 Nangar Kash 7 Cawborne Marty 8 Sorry Scott with reserves Bogan Doonie and Sunburnt Highway.
