Just six days after the injury-forced retirement of his champion sprinter Simply Limelight, veteran trainer Peter Rodgers was back in the winning list with promising youngster Check The Radar winning by 14 lengths at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night.
Raced by western suburbs bricklayers Brian Canellis and his son Jed, Check The Radar, who had been beaten in four of nine previous Wentworth Park outings, led throughout to win a 520m fifth grade - one of two preferred box draw events on the card - in a fast 29.88
That time was only .15sec slower than Len Me Dad took to win the meeting's top grade sprint, and owner Brian Canellis said later: "I've never lost faith in Check The Radar.
"We paid big money for her as a tiny puppy, $20,000, because her dam Serena Fly High is the mother of the 2021 Golden Easter Egg winner Tommy Shelby.
"Check The Radar was clocking a smart 24.20 in post to post hand slips at Wenty before she raced but she just took time to come good.
"Don't forget, her mother Serena Fly High was placed once in five starts before she broke through at her sixth race to win her maiden event and she finished up winning 20 races.''
Check The Radar's trainer Peter Rodgers though believes his greyhound's real future will be as a stayer.
"She is as strong as a lion and when she is a bit older I think she could develop into a top class long distance bitch,'' Rodgers said.
Gosford could well be re-named Eaton Park after the night out the Eaton family had at the central coast course on Tuesday.
Carole Eaton won with Logie Magic and She's Stylish, while her husband Jeff, whose greyhounds Aussie Audrey and Red Ball Rocket finished third and second behind Carole's pair, won with Miss Mila.
Not to be outdone, their son Scott trained Ragin' Fire to win a 388m fifth grade in a slick 22.21.
The Eaton family hit the ground running with their first greyhound, La Grand Logie, who won 27 races and $115,000 from 2014.
Jeff, a well-established tennis coach, quit that vocation at the end of last year to help Carole with their 20-strong team of greyhounds.
And Scott, a breeding guru who has often advised his parents on buying greyhounds, has 10 kennels on a separate seven acre property.
