Lightnin’ Ethics capped a massive week for Peter Rodgers when her all the way win in a personal best performance at Wentworth Park on Saturday gave the Freemans Reach trainer his fifth winner from five starters since Tuesday.
Lightnin' Ethics, along with kennelmates Lagoon Max and Simply Patches, presented Rodgers with a winning treble at Gosford on Tuesday night while Simply Limelight, the star of his kennel, won at Wentworth Park on Wednesday.
Backing up from Tuesday, Lightnin' Ethics gave a dazzling front running performance on Saturday, leading throughout from box eight in 29.82 after posting slick early splits of 5.43 and 13.87
Only greyhound to go faster at Wentworth Park on Saturday was the Mark Davidson-trained Mickey Doo, whose box manners have sometimes let him down in the past but who stepped away cleanly on Saturday to lead all the way in a third and fourth grade in 29.81.
While Mickey Doo's initial splits of 5.49 and 13.94 were wide of Lightnin' Ethics' figures, he ran home in 11.75, strongest of the meeting.
After Lightnin' Ethics' win on Saturday, Peter Rodgers said: "I think this bitch has the potential to win the Ladies Bracelet.
"She is getting better all the time and she is just 22 months of age.
"Her improvement is remarkable considering she contracted a bad dose of acidosis when she was just 12 months old and was sidelined for four months.''
The group 3 Ladies Bracelet has previously been an all age race for bitches but this year is restricted to female greyhounds whelped on or after January 1, 2020.
Training honours on Saturday night were shared by Mark Gatt and Andrew Bell, who each landed a winning double.
Gatt won the Masters race with Ritza Gloria in 29.84, just .12sec slower than her personal best Wentworth Park figures posted nearly two years ago, and took out the top grade 720m event with Stanley Road, the 2021 group 1 Association Cup winner.
Stanley Road gave the David Smith-trained Super Estrella a huge start before storming home to win in 42.03.
Super Estrella showed her customary brilliant early pace while Stanley Road, who tends to drop out to the back of the field in early stages, was fourth at the first turn but railed into a distant second spot at the winning post with a lap to go.
After the race Gatt's brother Daniel, deputising for Stanley Road's trainer, quipped: "I wish all the group race finals comprised five dog fields''.
Club Model won at Wentworth Park on Wednesday for Andrew Bell in 30.32 but to overcome a rough passage in the charge to the first turn to win on Saturday in 30.57.
Bell also scored with Smoky Cape, raced by fellow trainer Allan Ivers, with the former Victorian dog leading throughout in a personal best 30.18.
After Smoky Cape's race Bell said: "Although this dog had not won in eight previous starts from box one that is the draw he wants.
"In most of his races from box one Smoky Cape has bombed the start but he got away smartly tonight and wasn't headed.
"He had been unplaced in his previous five starts but the dog has looked a treat and I said to my wife Debbie this morning, there is no reason this dog can't win tonight, because he is jumping out of his skin.
"Club Model did well to back up after winning on Wednesday but I've had a few niggling injuries with her and now all those problems are behind her she proved she is capable of stringing together a couple of wins within a week.''
