Coast Model reeled off first and second splits of 5.38 and 13.79 when she defeated Sound Of Silence in her heat of the Christmas Gift on December 18 but trimmed those figures to 5.36 and 13.75 when she led throughout in a personal best 29.60 at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The Clay Mullens-owned and JODIE Lord-trained bitch looked a worthy candidate for the group one Paws Of Thunder heats on January 15 with her four lengths defeat of Trouble At Mill after being run down by Christmas Gift winner Zipping Kansas at headquarters on Boxing Night.
On Saturday Coast Model was having only her third start after a five month lay-off and trainer Lord looks to have timed her tilt at the Paws Of Thunder to perfection.
Lord landed a winning double on Saturday, winning an earlier race with stayer-turned-sprinter Cawbourne Turvey, another greyhound just back from a spell.
Cawbourne Turvey was placed over 720m at Wentworth Park in November but has reverted to sprints since resuming and after being unplaced over 520m on Boxing Night, came from second early to win an easier race over the same trip on Saturday in 30.03.
Crocodile Vella, bought by owner Laurie Vella for $8000 as an unraced and unbroken 12 months old puppy, lifted his earnings to more than $29,000 with his all-the-way win for trainer Darren Sultana in 29.89 on Saturday.
Unfortunately Vella, who loves being trackside to watch his dogs in action, was unable to get to Wentworth Park on Saturday due to a recent hip replacement.
Tarawi Ted surprised keen judges by veering off the track at the first turn when second to Connections at Wentworth Park on Boxing Night but railed perfectly for his all-the-way win from box one on Saturday.
Tarawi Ted's 29.85 matched his previous best Wentworth Park time and after Saturday's race trainer David Smith said: "I could not believe it when he got off the track in his December 26 race as he has never done that before, and he has had stacks of trials and races at Wenty.
"I now believe Tarawi Ted must have been clipped from behind going into the turn and that was what caused him to move away from the rails in that race.''
Loui Wonton, who won at The Meadows in July during a stint in Victoria, notched his fourth Wentworth Park win for trainer John Smart in 29.99 on Saturday night.
"He tore the ligaments in a toe while he was in Melbourne and because of that it has taken me a while to get him back to form,'' Smart said on Saturday.
Saturday's sole 720m race attracted just four starters but the top grade event was a thriller, with Victorian visitor Mepunga Ruby prevailing by a half length over John Finn's Zipping Virginia, with the winner's kennelmate Hank The Hustler a neck away third.
Zipping Virginia's kennelmate Zipping Ontario was a close-up fourth, and Saturday's quartet could well reprise their duel in the up-coming Summer Distance Plate over 720m at Wentworth Park.
Jeff Britton, who trains Mepunga Ruby and Hank The Hustler, won the Plate with Dublin Bull in 2017 and with True Detective three years later.
Heats of the Plate will be run on January 15 with the $40,000 to the winner final on January 22.
Meanwhile Yuko Girl, who registered her sixth win in seven appearances with a 29.86 all-the-way victory on Saturday, will line up again at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night.
The Sam Sultana-trained National Futurity hopeful will exit box two in race six, a 520m fifth grade.
