Just four years ago Peter Mattress quit his full-time position as sales manager of an automation company to become a professional greyhound trainer and on Saturday night he gets his first crack at the big time when his dog Bill Bath contests the $40,000 to the winner Bulli Gold Cup.
Bill Bath had box seven when runner-up in Ebby Infrared's fastest heat, with the winner clocking 26.08 and Mattress' dog posting 26.21 in defeat.
"I bought Bill Bath for $9000 around three months ago and he has just about repaid me already,'' Mattress said.
"Although Bill Bath handles wide well I'm happy with box two in Saturday night's final because he went well from that box when he won at Maitland on January 30.
"He seems to like Bulli because he had not seen the track before he won there in 26.22 on February 8.
"It's obviously not going to be easy on Saturday night, especially with such a good field and with Ebby Infrared sitting up in box one.
"But I'm confident Bill Bath will be up there most of the way.''
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NO trainer in Saturday's final has a better record in the Bulli Gold Cup than Mark Gatt, who has 26.18 heat winner Tennessee Tiger (pictured) in box eight.
Gatt trained Ritza Lenny, who became the only greyhound to break 26sec in a Bulli Gold Cup when he clocked a race record 25.95 in taking out the 2018 final.
Gatt also won the 2014 Cup final with Gradence, and was successful in other major Bulli Cup events with Ritza Ryder and Last Man Out.
Tennessee Tiger was last at box rise and overcame a first turn check to win his heat from box one but Gatt is "over the moon'' at his dog drawing box eight in Saturday's final.
"To be a realistic chance of winning such a hard race Tennessee Tiger needed to get box eight,'' Gatt said.
"I think he got checked at the first turn in his heat because he was trying to get wide from his rails position.''
Tennessee Tiger boasts a remarkable record from box eight, having worn the pink rug to victory on four from five assignments.
Although considered a slow beginner, Tennessee Tiger is capable of nailing the start as he "pinged the lids'' from box eight when he defeated his litter brother and kennelmate Shanjo Prince in a scorching 29.58 over 520m at Wentworth Park in September.
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Ebby Infrared, a son of boom stud dog Aussie Infrared, is also ideally positioned in box one in the Bulli Gold Cup.
"He has the perfect draw, now all he has to do is use it,'' trainer Michael Eberand said.
"Ebby Infrared is improving all the time and because he only turns two on Saturday he has a bright future.
"Although he loves Maitland, where he has won in a near record 24.79 over the 450m trip, Ebby Infrared took a long while to adapt to Bulli.
"Maybe because that is where I pre-trained him he seemed to get over-excited when he began racing on the Bulli track and he was beaten in his first five races there.
"He is in with a great chance on Saturday but he can't afford to dwell at the start.''
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LAST year's Bulli Gold Cup winner Pindari Express remains the dog to beat on Saturday despite his defeat by the flying Turbo Thomas in his heat.
Pindari Express was hampered trying to get wide in the early stages of his heat and flashed home to go under by a half length in 26.17.
The Tracey Scruse-trained dog clocked 26.16 winning last year and should relish his wide box six draw on Saturday.
Turbo Thomas, who had not raced or trialled at Bulli before his all-the-way heat win, will be chasing a remarkable 21 wins from 23 starts for trainer Jason Mackay when he exits box three on Saturday.
*Photo Lachlan of Redden Photo Video.
