Fast Times A Highlight Of Wenty Meeting

By Jeff Collerson
Roman Remiss had not broken the 30sec barrier in four previous Wentworth Park starts but a quick getaway on a lightning fast surface saw Mark Wilcox's consistent sprinter lead throughout in 29.52 on Saturday night.

Roman Remiss now boasts a remarkable 50 per cent winning strike rate, as Saturday's success was his 17th in 34 races.

"He has done all that in just eight or nine months,'' Wilcox said after the race.

"I thought he was capable of clocking around the 29.80 mark because he has been racing so well but the 29.52 did surprise me, it shows the track was very fast.''


Aston Zodiac, who just has to be the most reliably fast beginner among NSW's top grade greyhounds, also produced her personal best Wentworth Park time with an all-the-way 29.53 performance in the Free-For-All.

The Geoff Grimwood-trained bitch began brilliantly from box five and posted sizzling splits of 5.39, 13.69 and 17.78 on the way to her win.

"Her quick first split didn't surprise me because she has previously gone as fast as 5.38, but I did think 29.80 was probably about as quick as she could go,'' trainer Grimwood said.

"Obviously the track is fast and that certainly suits front runners like my bitch.''


Ritza Donald was another to record slick time on Saturday, with the JODIE Lord-trained dog skipping around Sunburnt Highway on the first corner to beat that greyhound clearly in 29.54.

"Ritza Donald had previously clocked 29.75 so when he got a clear run on a hard, dry surface, it didn't surprise me to see him go that quick,'' Lord said.

On The Rocks took 30.02 to win her fourth and fifth grade race on Saturday but trainer Donna Campbell was totally satisfied with her greyhound's performance.

Me Me Mia, who had box four, and On The Rocks, who drew eight, went into the first turn disputing the lead but Campbell's bitch cut across Me Me Mia and despite colliding with that greyhound, shot clear.

"I was worried about On The Rocks being in box eight and Me Me Mia, who is so quick early, being drawn inside her in four,'' Campbell said later.

"On the way to the starting boxes I jokingly asked Me Me Mia's trainer David Smith if he would consider swapping boxes with me.

"On The Rocks had clocked 29.75 at Wentworth Park last December and after that win tonight I'm convinced she is back to that sort of form again.''

Vamos Penny was having her first race for six weeks when she led throughout in a personal best 29.65 in a fourth and fifth grade on Saturday.

"She jarred a hock late in January and all she had leading up to tonight's race were two 400m trials at Richmond,'' trainer Kerry Drynan said.

"When I saw her bowling along in front I just had my fingers crossed she would not go amiss but she not only kept going to win comfortably but seems to have pulled up completely sound.''

Blazing Cartier, back with owner Tom Rees after a long and successful stint with Victorian trainer Robert Britton, ran a great trial for the group 1 Association Cup when she easily won Saturday's sole 720m race in a tidy 42.16.

Blazing Cartier has won six of her 14 Wentworth Park 720m starts and is now among the favourites for the Cup, which gets under way with heats at Wentworth Park on March 27.