It might have been a non-TAB race on a country track but when Patonga DAVE won last Saturday's Lithgow Golden Muzzle final it was akin to taking out the Golden Easter Egg for battling trainer James SIMPSON.
"I was ecstatic, that is by far the biggest race I have won in 15 years as a trainer,'' a jubilant SIMPSON, who is based at Blaxland in the Blue Mountains, declared.
"Patonga DAVE is the only greyhound I have and I bought him as a three months old puppy from breeder Jacqueline Davis.
"Winning the Golden Muzzle was a special thrill because I broke Patonga DAVE in myself, the first time I have attempted to do the pre-race education.
"As the name suggests I have a dear friend called DAVE, who lives at Patonga on the central coast.
"For years I have been attempting to name a greyhound after him and when this dog's name was granted I was rapt.
"Patonga DAVE has had three starts over 520m at Wentworth Park for a second placing but I think he is going to be better suited over a middle distance.
"He ran very wide when he won the Golden Muzzle 506m but he is strong at the finish so I am getting him ready for the $5000 to the winner GRNSW Middle Distance Series race over 603m at Gosford next Tuesday.''
Patonga DAVE's Lithgow win was his seventh from 23 appearances and he joins stars like Frank Hurst's Good Odds Judy (2007) and the Garry Williams-trained Beverage (2008), a prolific Wentworth Park winner, as Golden Muzzle victors.
Dennis Barnes' Nangar Gold established the current track record of 29.06 when she won a heat of the Golden Muzzle in 2020 before finishing second behind Tony Messina's Cheeky Lass in 29.18 in the final.
Patonga DAVE clocked a smart 29.14 in last Saturday's final win.
The Lithgow club is Australia's oldest, having been founded in 1928, when racing was held under lights on Wednesday nights.
Lithgow Hospital held the greyhound racing licence in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Zipping Abigail became one of the bargain buys of 2022 when she broke through for her first Wentworth Park win on Wednesday night.
After being runner-up four times and a minor placegetter twice from six previous Wentworth Park starts, the Mario Multari-owned and Richard Muscat-trained daughter of Zipping Garth scored a runaway win in a 520m fifth grade, posting her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 30.15.
Muscat said later: "Because she rattled home to be placed in each of her six earlier Wenty 520m races people have been inquiring when I was going to step her up in distance.
"But she has been a good money-spinner for her owner and I was confident there were a couple of 520m wins in store for her.''
Owner Mario Multari bought Zipping Abigail from leading breeder Marty Hallinan for only $5000 after she had recorded a win and three placings from five starts on Victorian provincial tracks.
"I watched those races and they were over distances ranging from 395m to 440m but I was convinced she would be better suited over 520m at Wenty,'' Multari said.
"When I contacted Marty he wanted $6000 for her but let me have her for $5000 so she is a real bargain.''
Zipping Abigail's win was part of a winning double for trainer Muscat, who took out the opening event with previously unraced puppy Charlm Lilly.
