Palawa King is being set for next month's National Distance Championship but the Jack Smith-trained dog produced a performance worthy of a top National Sprint Championship contender with a personal best and fastest of the night 29.53 win in Saturday night's top grade 520m event at Wentworth Park.
Having his first start since taking out Albion Park's biggest staying race, the 710m Queensland Cup on July 7, Palawa King surprised even his admirers by trailing pacemaker Akii Princess around the first turn before hitting the front leaving the back straight and winning comfortably.
Akii Princess posted a flying first split of 5.36 which made long-distance star Palawa King's effort to be a close second at that point even more remarkable.
John Finn took out heats of the Southern Stars at Goulburn on Friday with Zipping Remus and Zipping Orlando and landed another double at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Finn won with Zipping Foxy in 30.11 before Zipping Rousey, better known as an inside box specialist, took out the 520m Bitches' Final in 29.77.
Zipping Foxy had box eight and had drawn inside boxes in her only two previous wins but John Finn's wife Minnie said later: "It doesn't really matter where she draws, she is no world beater so just needs to be left alone and get a clear run.''
Zipping Rousey had posted her best Wentworth Park time of 29.68 from box one on March 29 but did clock 29.88 finishing second from box eight in her heat of Saturday night's race.
Zipping Rousey was beaten just over three lengths by Ritza Debra in her heat but that greyhound was scratched from Saturday night's final.
Happiest trainer at Wentworth Park on Saturday was Chris Brennen, who trained his first city winner when his $5000 bargain buy Balinese Blue won a 520m fifth grade in 30.50.
Balinese Blue had been Brennen's first Wentworth Park starter when he finished second on July 5 and although Brennen believed the dog may need to lead to win on Saturday, he came from second on the home turn.
Balinese Blue missed the jump from box two but secured a dream rails run at the first turn to be chasing pacemaker Banfield on the back straight before running home tenaciously to score by just over a length.
One Hot Bandit, a half brother to the 2022 National Sprint Championship winner Good Odds Cash, emerged as a strong prospect in next month's 2023 version by scoring his sixth win in eight Wentworth Park outings on Saturday night.
Although regarded as best suited when drawn wide, One Hot Bandit began cleanly from box two and headed Copious entering the catching pen before coming away to score by three lengths in a smart 29.70.
