Trainer Darren Sultana's ploy of dropping Highly Effective back in distance from 618m to 520m at Wentworth Park on Saturday night proved a master stroke with the dog winning easily in 29.66, fastest time of the night.
Highly Effective had led throughout to win in a blistering 35.40 over 618m at Richmond on June 5 but after going into Saturday's race with a personal best WP 520m time of 30.29, he led all the way, clocking a quick first split of 5.42 and running home in a powerful 11.60.
After the race Sultana said: "I was confident Highly Effective could break 30sec but did not expect him to go that quick, although the track tonight is obviously fast.
"But I have found that if a dog can get on the bunny and lead and win over a middle distance, it often boosts his confidence enough for him to repeat the performance over a shorter trip.''
Second quickest 520m time on Saturday was the 29.72 posted by Wentworth Park newcomer Beau Herrera, who led all the way for trainer Mark Gatt.
"When I got Beau Herrera from Victoria earlier this year I noticed all his racing had been done on one-turn tracks,'' Gatt said.
"Because of that I told his owner it might take the dog a while to get used to going around two bends but that hasn't been the case.
"I gave Beau Herrera a box-to-box trial at Wenty recently and he went super, and now he has come out and won first up in a race there.''
No Problem Here, described by trainer Michael Clayton as "the best railer I have had'' made full use of box one to lead throughout over 520m in 29.80.
"When he was a youngster No Problem Here railed so keenly he actually hit the fence a couple of times and I was worried he might hurt himself.
"He is no midget either, he is a big 34kg dog, but he scrapes the paint off the rails.''
The dog's owner John Lidgard bought No Problem Here as a puppy for $5000.
"I got him for half price because he was whelped in 2016 and the ban on the sport was a possibility,'' Lidgard said.
"After he was educated I took No Problem Here home to my place at Moss Vale and did not hand him back to Michael Clayton to be trained until the dog was two-and-a-half years old.
"I had dogs as far back as 1977 and have always preferred to keep them from racing until they were well over two because I reckon their bones are stronger and fully developed by then so there is less chance of them breaking down.''
David Smith, who trained a winning treble at Goulburn on Friday, was back in the winner's circle again when Unreal Ethics led all the way on Saturday over 520m in 29.90.
It was the dog's seventh win in 16 starts but his record would be even better had he been a reliable beginner.
"His box manners have improved to what they were when he started racing but he is still hit or miss at the start,'' Smith said.
"Unreal Ethics tends to jump better when he is in an odd numbered box and spends a bit of time in the starting traps before the lids go up.
"That gives him time to settle down because he is inclined to get very worked up when he is first placed away.''
The Kerry Drynan-trained Pearl Of Tahiti scored one of the most impressive first-up 720m performances seen at Wentworth Park when she powered home to win by over six lengths in a slick 42.38.
