Annie Rocks, purchased by Anthony Dawson despite finishing only fifth at Bundaberg in late December, gave the Windsor trainer Anthony Dawson his most important win when she led throughout in the opening event at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Then in race eight Kylie Keeping, who had given Dawson his first Wentworth Park success when she won at a Wednesday meeting on June 16, gave the trainer a night to cherish when she came from third in the middle stages to win in 30.27.
"I was thrilled when Annie Rocks won because that was my first winner at a Wenty Saturday night fixture and while I was hopeful about Kylie Keeping, I thought she would need luck from box eight,'' Dawson said.
Annie Rocks had made the pace before finishing second at her Wentworth Park debut 72 hours earlier but showed the benefit of that hit-out by going to the line more strongly on Saturday to win in 30.29.
"I bought Annie Rocks purely on her breeding because her dam Angie Rocks won over $113,000 prizemoney and I figured even if she did not win races, she should make a worthwhile brood bitch.
"When she raced last Wednesday she had not had a run for two weeks due to covid restrictions and I reckon that was the reason she was run down.
"I didn't pay a lot of money for her and as I backed her when she won over 618m at Richmond in late March as a $61 chance, she doesn't owe me anything.
"Annie Rocks is a beautiful bitch and on nights when she isn't racing she lays on the lounge watching television with me.''
Highly Effective, who clocked a slick 29.93 winning a 520m fifth grade at Wentworth Park on Saturday, was almost dispatched to NEW ZEALAND after finishing down the course in four races between late December and early February.
But the dog's owners wanted to keep him here so trainer Darren Sultana opted to spell Highly Effective and let him run around with puppies on his property at Londonderry.
"There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him but Highly Effective just wasn't racing well, he had switched off,'' Sultana said.
"So I gave him four months off with some pups and the break worked wonders because he has come back to top form.''
Sultana's father Vic took out another fifth grade 25 minutes later when PICKACHU Wave led throughout to score in his personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.93.
"He just fell in but PICKACHU Wave has now won four from eight at WP so he obviously loves the place,'' Darren Sultana said.
"And if they are going to be partial to any track you want it to be at Wenty.''
Boom sprinter On The Rocks was described as "a tough little nut'' by trainer Donna Campbell after notching her 17th win in 29 starts on Saturday at Wentworth Park.
On The Rocks, a 27kg bitch, had to push the nearly 36kg Here Comes Joe out of the way at the first turn to retain the lead before hanging on to win by a neck in 30.37.
Campbell said later: "On The Rocks went down on her knees when she collided with Here Comes Joe at the first turn so I expect her to be a bit sore tomorrow morning.''
Topper Phoenix, who had registered 22 placings and just one win in 42 previous WP starts, flashed home to take out Saturday night's Masters Stakes, with Sunburnt Highway, chasing his 30th victory at headquarters, relegated to third placing after having every chance.
Fastest time of the night was the 29.86 posted by the Peter Ray-trained fifth grade winner Wicked Flash, who led throughout to win by six lengths.
Ray's high opinion of Wicked Flash was vindicated as he had been planning to enter the dog in the group 1 Vic Peters Classic until it was postponed due to covid.
Saturday's top grade 520m was taken out by the consistent Zipping Kyrgios, who led from the catching pen and held off a late challenge by Romantic Storm to win in 29.97.
Zipping Kyrgios' win gave trainer John Finn his fourth Wentworth Park success in 72 hours, as the Cranebrook conditioner landed a winning treble at headquarters last Wednesday.
