Oh Mickey became one of the youngest National Derby winners when he led throughout to edge out Poacher, the most experienced finalist, in the $75,000 to the winner classic at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
Just 22 months old and the youngest runner in the field, Oh Mickey was having just his seventh start and notched up win number five for Brisbane owner Clint Kratzmann and central coast trainer Troy Donaldson.
Poacher, who was making his 27th appearance at Wentworth Park, chased Oh Mickey from the halfway mark but went down by just under two lengths.
"I thought Poacher would win for sure when he pushed up underneath Oh Mickey on the back straight,'' trainer Owen Langley said.
Oh Mickey's trainer Troy Donaldson commented on the rapid improvement his youngster has displayed.
"At his first trial at Wenty, less than a month ago, Oh Mickey only clocked 30.40s,'' Donaldson said.
"Then he won a race in 30.39 before posting 30.27 in finishing second in his Derby heat and now running 29.91 to win the Derby.
"Going into the final I thought My Mate Clarrie was my best prospect but of course that changed a bit when Oh Mickey came up with box one and the other dog had to exit box six.
"I exercise My Mate Clarrie but Oh Mickey is the responsibility of my son Jett, who always walks him.''
Donaldson has had a big couple of months as he trained Jet Jackson to win the Young Star Classic at Wentworth Park in November.
Rampant Jimmy's third placing in the Derby final gave a syndicate of 13 mostly first-time owners a massive thrill.
Trained by Danielle Swain, Rampant Jimmy has taken a liking to Wentworth Park and after winning four of nine races at headquarters was a strong finishing third, beaten less than five lengths, in the Derby.
The syndicate, comprising stockbrokers and school teachers, is headed by Hamish McCathie, who said his interest in greyhounds was born when his family holidayed at Bowral when he was 10-years-old.
"A tradition during our annual southern highlands holiday was a trip to Moss Vale dogs on a Saturday afternoon, and the greyhounds always held a fascination for me,'' McCathie said.
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HERE Comes Joe, who had beaten Oh Mickey in his Derby heat but who had to be scratched from box one in the final, is making a slow recovery from what appears to have been a spider bite.
"I took him to my veterinary surgeon again on Saturday and he has put the dog on another course of tablets as he is still carrying an infection,'' owner-trainer Joe Estephan said.
"Here Comes Joe was limping last week so there was no way he could have started in the Derby but at least his condition is improving all the time.''
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Wild Flyer is going to take some beating in next month's group 2 Richmond Oaks following her desperately unlucky second to Zipping Veyron in Friday night's group 1 Ladbrokes National Futurity at WP.
Wild Flyer will tackle next Monday's Bathurst Cup heats but her ultimate goal is the Richmond bitches' classic, with heats on February 28 and the $40,000 to the winner final on March 6.
"Richmond is her favourite track for sure,'' trainer Hank Vanderburg said.
Wild Flyer's Futurity effort was her best WP performance as she collided with the speedy Run Baba Run in the early stages and relegated to sixth on the back straight before going down by only a length.
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King Cratos recorded the second fastest time in the history of the Paws Of Thunder when he clocked 29.64 in holding off the mighty Feral Franky and tearaway pacemaker Caishen last Friday night.
Race record for the 520m Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park is held by Iona Seven, who won the 2014 final for Sydney's Sidrak family and Melbourne trainer Robert Britton in 29.56.
The Paws Of Thunder has been conducted on the present Wenty sand surface since 1993, was held on grass from '87 to '92 and was run at Harold Park in 1986, while the Wentworth Park grandstand was being constructed.
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GUILDFORD trainer Jack Wright, who won the 1959 Paws Of Thunder (then called the NSW St Leger) with Super Samson. often transported that greyhound to the races aboard a motor cycle.
Wright would ride the motor bike with Super Samson perched alongside him in a sidecar.
Imagine the consternation he would attract if he tried to do that today!
