Londonderry trainer Darren Sultana went to Bathurst on Monday hoping he could take out a couple of placings but returned home all smiles after winning with Miss Hyped Up over 520m while Go Bro and Hold Up scored in 307m events.
"I have won a few trebles over the years but Monday's was the biggest surprise,'' Sultana said.
"Miss Hyped Up was having her first 520m test and while I expected her to lead, I doubted she could hang on and win, especially as rain had made the track heavy.
"Go Bro is a real hit or miss box dog and he bombed the start again on Monday but got a lucky break when the heavens opened up for him to get a clear run in the early stages.
"Hold Up has good early pace but I felt for her to win the favourites might have to get tangled up behind her and that's exactly what happened.''
Saucy Smile who will contest Saturday night's $5000 to the winner GBOTA Welcome Maiden Final, rewarded the patient of owner-trainer Kerry Drynan and her mother Doreen when she won her Wentworth Park heat on July 22.
Saucy Smile and her litter sister and kennelmate, Defining Moment, who qualified for Saturday's final by finishing a close third to Nangar Ridge in the other, faster heat, are daughters of Doreen's bitch Saucy Wink, who had only three starts.
"Saucy Wink looked like being a good race bitch and trialled 22.60 over 400m at Richmond before winning first-up at Wentworth Park in 30.05 in June, 2014,'' Kerry said.
"But after two more races she injured a stopper bone and could not race again.
"Because Saucy Wink was so well bred, a daughter of Besa Me Mucho, we decided to keep her for breeding.
"Then the greyhound ban loomed and Saucy Wink sat around in the paddock for two years doing nothing but we persevered and when the ban was overturned we mated her with Dyna Double One and in May, 2018, got this litter.
"In last week's maiden heats I expected Defining Moment to go close to winning because she had been trialling better than Saucy Smile, who came out and led all the way, while Defining Moment made the pace before finishing third.''
First time owner Monique Annetts, whose greyhound Princess Annetts at Bathurst on Monday took her record to three wins and two seconds from six starts, has reserved a pup from champion producer Solar Pak's latest litter to Kinloch Brae.
Annetts, who also has five thoroughbreds with leading trainer Gai Waterhouse, became interested in greyhounds through staging camel races via her events company.
"Last year my company began holding camel races at various places in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, and when we held an event at Gosford greyhound track it piqued my interest in buying a dog,'' Annetts said.
"I paid $3500 for Princess Annetts, buying her from breeder Kevin Gordon, and she is going great for trainer Rob Tyler.
"My next step is to create syndicates for people who want to be involved in greyhound racing but don't want to outlay big money to do so.
"Among my goals is to organise a female-only syndicate, so a group of girls can have the fun of watching their very own greyhound in action, hopefully at Wentworth Park.''
