It is doubtful if any greyhound has been raised in more spacious surroundings than Armatree Cash, who will exit box six in Friday night's 400m Ladbrokes Richmond Cannonball.
Armatree Cash, a winner of five from 10 races, is trained by Peter Lagogiane for owner-breeder Craig Fordham, who reared her on a massive 2500 ha property at Armatree, between Gilgandra and Coonamble.
The Fordham family has been involved with greyhounds since the 1930s, when Craig's great grandfather Claude Fordham was a trainer.
Craig Fordham's grandfather Dave and his wife Mary raced several top notchers in the 1950s, notably crack Sydney sprinter Armatree Chief, along with Armatree Lad and Armatree Prince, who became the sire of Flying Armatree, the 1969 Devonport (Tasmania) Cup winner.
Dave Fordham also bred and raced Armatree's Idol before selling that top class stayer to Sydney bookmaker Charlie D'Amore, who saw the dog become an outstanding long-distance performer under leading trainer Paul Cauchi.
Since Armatree Cash began racing, Craig Fordham has "downsized."
"We have moved onto a 14ha property at Dubbo but we will continue to breed and raise greyhounds,'' he said.
Aggie's Dream showed dazzling early speed but was run down and beaten just under a length by Red Hot Mouse in a 22.83 Richmond Cannonball heat but she could be the big improver in Friday's 400m final.
"She was slightly under-done for the heat and will strip fitter in the final,'' said Aggie's Dream's in-form trainer John Grief.
"I'm quite happy with her box eight draw and am hoping she can give me my second Cannonball win on my local track.
"I won this race a few years back with Set And Match, a greyhound I had bought as a performed dog for just $2000.''
Few greyhounds in Australia can boast the strike rate of Hank Vanderburg's short course sensation Speeding Fine and he is boxed to enhance his already imposing tally of 14 wins from 17 starts in Friday night's Ladbrokes Richmond Cannonball final.
In last Friday's heats Speeding Fine led throughout over the 400m trip in 401m trip in 22.57, figures bettered only by track record holder Vamoose, the Grafton Thunderbolt winner, who clocked 22.41.
The other heats were taken out by Armatree Cash in 22.65 and Speeding Fine's kennelmate Red Hot Mouse in 22.83.
But the crucial fastest first splits were shared by Speeding Fine and Armatree Cash at 6.52.
"Speeding Fine has drawn nicely in box three in the final, unlike in the Grafton Thunderbolt when he had box eight,'' trainer Hank Vanderburg said.
"At Grafton he jumped half a length in front but just couldn't get across and back on his home track I think it could be a different story on Friday night.''
Vanderburg is the only trainer with two finalists, as his "super mum" Red Hot Mouse flashed along the rails from third on the home bend to run down John Grief's Aggie's Dream in her heat.
"Red Hot Mouse has a litter of eight-month-old puppies and I only decided to throw her into the Cannonball at the last minute,'' Vanderburg said.
Wendy Rocks indicated she will be a force in next month's National Distance Championship with an impressive solo trial over 720m at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Trained at Murwillumbah by John Dart, Wendy Rocks zipped over Wenty's long-distance trip in a slick 42.05.
For a greyhound having her first look at the track, those figures compared well with top grade stayer Ritza Piper's 41.78 posted later in the night in a top grade distance event.
Dart, who has trained a succession of top class stayers including the champion Miss Grub, a group one winner of $253,000, has long held a high opinion of Wendy Rocks, who has had seven wins and six placings from 18 starts.
Sydney's National Distance Championship qualifier will be held at Wentworth Park on Thursday, August 10.
