Rob Tyler never has more than a dozen greyhounds in work but he "did a Dailly" at Richmond on Friday when he had four starters in a 320m event and they filled the placings from one to four in betting order.
The powerful Dailly kennel in Melbourne often have four runners in a race as do other big Victorian establishments like those of Jeff Britton, but they are trainers with 100 greyhounds in work.
Last Friday a field of six had been set to contest the Free-For-All sprint but with two scratchings Tyler's dogs comprised the entire field.
Preston Lee, celebrating his fourth birthday on December 16, was sent out a $1.60 favourite and led throughout to beat second favourite Good Time Lenny, at $2.75, by just under three lengths.
Their kennelmate Minkara Minx, an $11 chance, was third, with Tyler's rank outsider Remnants fourth at $15.
"It was a weird feeling watching my dogs go to the boxes because I was worried they might collide going to the first turn,'' Tyler said.
"If that had happened and the roughie happened to win it might not have looked too good but thankfully they filled the first four in order of favouritism.
"Preston Lee had a serious setback mid career and was out of action for six months so to see him win his 24th race on Friday was gratifying.
"Now he has turned four and is eligible for Masters races I plan on pushing him back up in distance.
"Until now, because of that long break he had from racing, I had been reluctant to step him up because he would have been taking on younger dogs who specialised in 500m races.
"I will be trying to avoid the good Masters dogs like Jabeni but I think Preston Lee is capable of winning in that age group over longer than he went on Friday.''
On Friday Preston Lee scampered over the 320m in 18.09, close to Fascinate Donald's track record of 17.94, but the dog won several races over 520m at Albion Park early in his career.
Friday was a big night for Tyler as he won another 320m event with Black Ghost, his new acquisition, in even quicker time of 18.08.
It was Black Ghost's fourth win in 31 starts but his second in just four appearances for Tyler.
"I had been interested in buying him but happened to visit a for sale website and there was Black Ghost being offered as a giveaway so I grabbed him,'' Tyler said.
Rockstar Atonia led throughout to win Wednesday night's Wentworth Park Maiden Stakes just six months after undergoing a tracheostomy, an extremely rare but in this case life-saving procedure for a greyhound.
A trecheostomy involves creating a hole in the windpipe to provide an alternative way of breathing.
Kayla-Jane Coleman, wife of Rockstar Atonia's trainer Shaun Evans, said the tricky and for a greyhound, difficult operation, had been necessary to save their greyhound, who had become almost unable to breathe due to a throat and neck problem.
