Key Bob's well-deserved first Wentworth Park win on Saturday night had special significance for his trainer Helen Rylands and her son John, the dog's part-owner.
After Key Bob's all-the-way win in 30.33sec, Helen Rylands said: "This win means a lot to our family as it is two years to the day since my husband Brian, who was John's father, passed away.''
Brian Rylands was one of NSW's leading bookmakers for several decades and following his death his wife Helen took out a trainer's licence.
"I bought Key Bob from the internet for $7000 and while he only clocked 30.33 tonight he is capable of going faster,'' Rylands said.
"At his first trial at Wentworth Park he clocked a tick over 30sec so he should be able to get down to those figures again.''
Key Bob had been placed in four of five Wentworth Park races before Saturday night and had run the race of his life when second to Golden Easter Egg favourite She's A Pearl at Wenty last Wednesday.
Fastest time of the night on Saturday was posted by the Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Emma, whose 29.95 all-the-way win edged out Ziggy Stardust's 29.96 victory as the time standard for the 10-race card.
"Good Odds Emma is a good little chaser and she is from a terrific litter,'' Hurst's wife Tracey, who handled their greyhound on Saturday, said later.
"Ties That Bind, a finalist in Monday night's Maitland Gold Cup, and Good Odds Buzz, who has won five from 10 starts, are from this litter which was whelped by our bitch Good Odds Meghan to Fernando Bale in February, 2020.
Ziggy Stardust, who won over 720m at Wentworth Park in November, showed rare versatility to win a 520m fifth grade on Saturday by seven lengths in his personal best figures of 29.96.
The Adam Campton-trained dog was third early but railed to the lead going through the catching pen and bolted away, running home in a powerful 11.70.
Fantastic Radley, owned in SA and until this week trained there by part-owner Ossie Chegia, also produced a versatile performance to storm home and win over 520m on Saturday in 30.22 for caretaker trainer Garry Edwards.
It was Fantastic Radley's 19th win from 35 starts and justified connections sending the dog across to Edwards for the group one Association Cup series over 720m at Wentworth Park next month.
"This dog has a real will to win,'' Garry Edwards said later.
"At one stage his owners were undecided about sending Fantastic Radley over for the Cup because of the likelihood of Jason Magri's outstanding stayer Zipping Kansas being in the race.
"But I told them anything can happen between now and when the Cup final is held on April 9 so there was no point having their dog sitting at home in his kennel while the group one was being conducted.''
Fantastic Radley had won twice over 720m at Wentworth Park earlier in his career and after jumping smartly on Saturday was outpaced by four of his sprint rivals, before pulling to the outside and sweeping around them from fifth on the back straight to win by five lengths.
Redeem Our Cash's love affair with Wentworth Park continued on Saturday night when the Allan Ivers-trained again jumped in front and led throughout, stopping the clock after 520m at 30.13.
The remarkably consistent Redeem Our Cash has now had 20 starts at headquarters for eight wins and six placings, with Saturday's win lifting his earnings to more than $61,000.
