On The Rocks Ready For Futurity

On The Rocks has not raced since being unplaced in the Sandown Laurels final in mid-December but will make her much anticipated return in the heats of the group 1 Ladbrokes National Futurity at Wentworth Park on January 15.

On The Rocks recorded slashing times in each of two Wentworth Park wins, clocking 29.84 from box eight and 29.75 from box four, before winning a heat of the group 2 Laurels on December 13.

Trainer Donna Campbell said: "After the trip to Victoria I gave On The Rocks some time off but there was nothing amiss with her.

"I have begun trialling her again and she has had a couple of 400m trials and is going nicely.

"I plan to give her a post-to-post hand-slip or two at Wenty before bringing her back for the Futurity heats.''

The National Futurity is open to bitches whelped on or after October 1, 2018, but despite the age restriction it is shaping as a tough race to win.

"David Smith's bitches Me Me Mia and Ice Cream Story are eligible and they went super when they won at Wentworth Park last Saturday,'' Campbell said.

"So it looks like attracting a terrific lineup of bitches.''

Campbell also has high hopes for the lightly raced Under The Thumb, who took his tally to three wins from six starts with an impressive victory over 330m at Richmond on Saturday.

Under The Thumb, just 21 months of age, bungled the start from box seven and was intent on finding the rails but once he found the inside he finished powerfully for a comfortable win.

"He is not afraid of people but otherwise is a real scaredy-cat, and is frightened of his own shadow,'' Campbell said.

"There's no question of how desperate he is to get to the fence and at Richmond on Saturday he actually glanced off the inside running rail at one stage.

"Under The Thumb has not raced beyond 340m but I am confident he will get further without much trouble.

"He is bred to be good as he is by Fernando Bale from Miss Emmy Rose, a litter sister to the former Melbourne champion Up Hill Jill.''

Trainers can go a lifetime without winning a double but less than a month after obtaining his training licence 26-year-old Dylan Goodger has reached that milestone.

Last Saturday at Richmond, Goodger, an aircraft maintenance engineer, won with the previously unraced Miss Frankie Rae and with Ishani, who notched win number five after scoring four previous successes with trainer Donna Campbell.

"My father Ray and I share ownership in these greyhounds and we have been involved in the sport for just under three years,'' Goodger said.

"We also own Kroes, who is trained by Donna Campbell and who won in 29.91 at Wentworth Park for us in October, 2019.

"Miss Frankie Rae is a litter sister to Under The Thumb, who won for Donna at Richmond last Saturday, and when I took out a trainer's licence Donna let me take Ishani back to give me another handy prospect to train.

"It was a tremendous thrill to win that double as Miss Frankie Rae and Ishani were only my third and fourth starters since I became a trainer.''