Eyes To Eyes confirmed his ranking as NSW's most improved sprinter with another sizzling Wentworth Park win on Saturday night, bringing him into contention for next month's Group 1 National Derby.
The Neville Brown owned and trained dog led all the way from box four to clock a best of the night 29.54 at Wentworth Park last week and put in a repeat performance in Saturday's top grade 520m event, winning by nearly two lengths from the luckless One Hot Bandit in 29.65.
Eyes To Eyes was whelped on October 25, 2021, so is the perfect age for the January 12 National Derby heats which are restricted to greyhounds born on or after October 1.
Neville Brown knows what it takes to win a big race, having landed the 2010 Peter Mosman Classic with Tuiaki.
While Eyes To Eyes can lay claim to being the state's most improved dog, My Hepburn is arguably the fastest beginner after jumping in front again to lead all the way on Saturday.
The Susan Smith-trained speedster reeled off a scintillating first and second splits of 5.32 and 13.66 before winning in her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.82.
Rockstar Antonia completed a big day for trainer Kayla Coleman and her husband Shaun Evans when she led throughout in 30.37 at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Earlier in the day Coleman and Evans had landed a winning double on the Richmond straight track with Deranged Memory and What's Thy Name.
At Wentworth Park Rockstar Antonia began brilliantly and set up a huge early lead before tiring to win by just over a length, when having her first 520m test since December last year.
Coleman explained: "She has been lightly raced because she developed a haematoma in her throat and had to undergo a tracheostomy in order to save her life.'' (A tracheostomy is a procedure where an opening is created in the windpipe from outside the neck).
"Rockstar Antonia recorded a pretty smart first split of 5.43 tonight but can go faster.
"She is a litter sister to our top notch dog Rockstar Apollo.''
Joshua Board, a 24-year-old builder, landed his fourth Wentworth Park win with his dog Spring Meteor who clocked a personal best 29.86 to take out Saturday's opening event.
Spring Meteor was third to the catching pen but easily overhauled tearaway leader Bandit Bullet to win by four lengths.
After the race Board said: "I was surprised at how strongly Spring Meteor got to the line tonight.
"He doesn't usually finish as strongly at the end of 520m as he did in this race so I'm rapt.''
Board may train only as a hobby but is bred to be a trainer, as his father Scott Board and grandfather Greg Board are both outstanding greyhound racing conditioners.
Downtown Zipper and runner-up Glaski Poke produced impressive trials for next Saturday's $25,000 to the winner Newcastle Cup at Ladbrokes Gardens after they ran the quinella in Saturday night's sole 720m race on the Wentworth Park card.
Training honours on Saturday were with Craig Chappelow, enjoying his best year, who took out 520m fifth grades with Sweet City Gal and Overflow Jill, both daughters of Sweet City Woman.
