Nangar Rocket has not raced this year but returns at The Gardens on Friday in pursuit of reaching the final of the Ladbrokes Country Classic for the second time.
Nangar Rocket finished fourth to Showman Jack in the 2023 Country Classic at Dubbo before being beaten in a close Photo finish by Zipping Orlando in the $500,000 to the winner Ladbrokes 'The 715' at The Gardens.
Trainer Dennis Barnes is chasing the same races this year with Nangar Rocket and while the dog has not started in 2024 he said the dog is trialling well.
"There has been not much wrong with him, I just decided to give him a break from racing to freshen him up so as to have him ready for these big races.''
Nangar Rocket has box eight in his 600m heat of the Country Classic on Friday, a draw which should present a daunting prospect for his rivals.
In seven races from box eight, Nangar Rocket has recorded five wins and two placings
Last year's winner Showman Jack, who was being set for another crack at the Country Classic, won't be starting.
"He has 'done' a pin muscle so will be out for six weeks,'' a dejected trainer John Smart said.
NSW trainers must be relieved that Raider's Guide, the Tasmanian superstar who trounced some of Australia's best middle-distance greyhounds in Saturday's Rookie Rebel final at The Meadows, won't be heading to NSW for the Dubbo Country Classic series.
Heats are being held at various venues this week but trainer Gary Fahey said: "The $125,000 to the winner prizemoney sounds pretty good but unfortunately the series has come up a bit too soon for us.''
Fahey, who will be 79 in August, has been one of Tasmania's leading trainers for over 50 years.
Raider's Guide after winning The Rookie Rebel | Photo: The Meadows Dogs Facebook
"I have not enjoyed good health for the past 12 months and my daughter Carol Martin took Raider's Guide to Melbourne and led him out for the Rookie Rebel,'' Fahey said.
"But I have a litter of 10-month-old puppies at home which are by the NSW dog Feral Franky from Raider's Guide's mother Sacred Shadow.
"And I have some promising young sprinters so I'm hoping to be in Sydney for the Million Dollar Chase later this year.
"Handsome Prince, a greyhound originally from Tasmania, won the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park in 2020 for Sydney trainer Peter Lagogiane, so the Tasmanian dogs have improved considerably.
"When I was last at Wentworth Park was when I was training Breaker's Tip, a finalist in the 2015 National Sprint Championship won by Fernando Bale.
"Breaker's Tip got tangled up with the West Australian finalist at the first turn but he was never going to be able to beat a dog like Fernando Bale.
