Champion jockey Brenton Avdulla is riding in Hong Kong so will miss being trackside to watch his greyhound Fernando Hunter when the dog is sent out a hot favourite for Friday night's $100,000 to the winner final of the Master Meteor.
Avdulla, who has ridden 13 group one winners, is a true greyhound racing enthusiast and after he handled Fernando Hunter for trainer Michelle Sultana for one of the dog's 11 Wentworth Park wins, he said: "I was more nervous leading him out than I have ever been before a big horse race.''
Fernando Hunter, who almost died of a snake bite earlier this year, was a certainty beaten in his Masters Meteor heat last Wednesday night.
After bungling the start from his unsuitable box eight draw, Fernando Hunter was badly checked crossing to the rails and relegated to a distinct last going through the catching pen.
From fourth on the back straight Fernando Hunter flashed along the rails to be runner-up to tiny 22kg speedster Sutton Sandy, beaten just over a length in the slow time of 30.42.
Michelle Sultana earned a second Meteor finalist when her rising five-year-old Aston Ulysses held off Dubbo trainer Shayne Stiff's Zippy Tesla by a half-length in 29.93.
Aston Ulysses' 38 wins from 102 races have been over an amazing range of distances, from 400m to 660m, so it's no wonder the dog remains Sultana's kennel favourite.
The daughter of long-time leading trainer Sam Sultana, Michelle Sultana was unlucky not to have three Meteor finalists as Connections set a scorching pace in his heat but tired in the straight to finish third to fastest qualifier Stout Monelli.
Connections, who was resuming from a five months' enforced spell in his heat, posted electrifying early splits of 5.34 and 13.77 before winding up two lengths from the winner in 29.90.
Before the race Sultana had predicted Connections could be short of a run, so she is unlucky her dog has only been able to make first reserve status on Friday night.
While Fernando Hunter will be all the rage from his ideal final draw, Aston Ulysses, who has box five, has won just once in six appearances wearing the yellow jacket.
Stout Monelli's heat success took his tally to a remarkable 41 wins from 81 starts while Hill Top Jack was contesting his 120th race when he notched his 32nd victory in his heat.
Geall's pair have drawn poorly in the final, with Hill Top Jack to exit box four and Stout Monelli to start from six.
Geall said: "I thnk Hill Top Jack is probably my better chance.
"He is going great at the moment and his heat win was terrific because he had box two, and the dog in box one veered out and checked him when they jumped.''
