"He has learned from mistakes he has made in races in the past.
"After all, not many greyhounds can lay claim to outpacing Good Odds Harada in a race.''
"He nailed the start tonight and that made a difference to his time,'' trainer Lagogiane said later.
"Straight Shift has won many of his races despite dwelling at box rise but tonight he ran up to the sort of times he can trial over 330m at Richmond.
"There he regularly clocks 18.40 and 18.50 in trials but his problem on race day can be that he gets worked up when he hears the lure whizzing around.
"I deliberately did not trial him at Bulli before racing him here tonight, I just threw him in cold because I felt he might have a better chance of getting away quickly if he found himself at a new track.''
"I trialled Utah Express at Bulli about three months ago and he ran a smart 22.60 for the 400m back then, so he has obviously improved plenty,'' Magri said.
"He has terrific early pace so has a good future.''
"But we expected him to go close at Bulli because Mary trialled him up the straight at Appin on Tuesday and he clocked 21.25 for the 366m.
"That told us he was going as well as ever again.''
