When Hunter Valley owner-trainer John Miles decided Not Today's future had to be at Wentworth Park he transferred the greyhound to Sydney suburban trainer Simon Ma, who calls the Glebe circuit his "local trial track.''
The move paid off with Not Today storming home from fourth in the middle stages to win Saturday night's opening Wentworth Park event in a slick 30.15, just .11sec outside Cop Magnet's time standard for the 11-race card.
Miles, who trained crack short course sprinters Blue Thunda, Laurie's Flyer and Blue Bronte, is no longer prepared to drive to Sydney on a regular basis so Ma, from the northern beaches suburb of Forestville, took over.
"From Forestville my nearest track to educate and trial my greyhounds is Wentworth Park so every dog in my kennels get well schooled there,'' Ma said.
"John has had some wonderful short course greyhounds but he knows I don't like 300m racing and when he decided Not Today was never going to be a speedy bitch that was another reason he sent her to me.
"Although Saturday's win was her first in a dozen Wentworth Park races Not Today can run fast times when I slip her at Wenty so when she got a crack at the leaders at the halfway mark I knew she would be hard to hold off because she is very strong.''
Fernando's Glory, who surprised Wentworth Park racegoers by running down Ritza Donna to win a 520m third and fourth grade on Saturday night, will race at Sandown next Sunday.
Trainer Michael Hardman said: "There are heats of a race for Victorian-bred greyhounds there and after that series I will be taking her back to Melbourne for the Sandown Laurels.
"Fernando's Glory is just two years old but later in her career I plan to switch her to long-distance racing.''
Another greyhound already being talked about as a future as a stayer is Let Loose, who staged a remarkable last-to-first performance to win over 520m at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Let Loose is a son of Big Butters, trainer Andrew Crouch's 715m record holder at LADBROKES GARDENS, and Crouch believes he could mirror his mother's career.
"Even though Let Loose only clocked 30.41 winning on Saturday he has trialled 30.05 at Wentworth Park and is a far quicker dog than his litter brother and kennelmate Irrational who has won five from 10 starts,'' Crouch said.
"Let Loose is still very puppy-ish but if he can eventually put it all together he has a future, especially over longer distances than 520m.''
ZIPPING Demand amazed keen judges by giving noted strong finisher Tachycardic a big start and a beating over 520m at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but trainer Jason Magri was not surprised at his dog's stamina at the finish.
ZIPPING Demand won running away in 30.05, second fastest time of the night. and Magri said later: "In the past couple of weeks I have given him a couple of 600m trials and that has strengthened him up.
"I wasn't sure if he would have enough early zip to stay in touch with the early leaders but he handled himself well and after being fourth on the back straight railed into second spot approaching the home bend.''
