CHRIS O'Brien landed his first treble in 22 years as a trainer at Nowra last Monday and he has two qualifiers in this Monday's Ladbrokes Super Maiden at the famous Pine Bowl circuit.
O'Brien's little bitch Tick Returns won her heat in 20.93, while kennelmate Rest Assured qualified by finishing second to fastest heat winner Rocking Sonny in a fast 20.75.
"I'm hoping Rest Assured can draw inside Rocking Sonny in the final,'' O'Brien said.
"Tick Returns, who is only 24.5kg, has more early pace than Rest Assured but while that dog has a lot of potential, although I think he might be better suited on a bigger track.
"Rest Assured began well in his heat but Rocking Sonny came out running and punched up inside my dog, who could not run him down.''
The other heat of the 365m Super Maiden, worth $5000 to the final winner, went to the Allan Manwaring-trained Ashby Chai in 21.03.
Although O'Brien has enjoyed tremendous success in the city in recent years with a star-studded team, headed by the flying Mortified, a winner of 20 races, he explained: "I haven't won a treble previously but I am now training more dogs for other clients.
"Rest Assured for example is owned by Penny Hutchinson, who owns and trains War Hawk, a winner of 13 races, and she bought him as a puppy from a friend of mine and gave him to me to train.''
O'Brien's other winners at Nowra last Monday were Fortified in a 520m heat of the 520m Ladbrokes Loyalty Plate and Quantifiable, who scored her fourth successive short course win in taking out a 365m event in a sizzling 20.41.
Quantifiable has won 11 races over the Wentworth Park 520m trip where she has posted a flying 29.64 but O'Brien said: "Her past half dozen starts have been over short courses because I wanted to freshen her up.
"By doing that in short races I believe that will result in Quanitifiable having greater longevity on the track.
"But she will race over 440m at Goulburn on Friday and then will be tackling Wenty 520m races again.''
Rocking Sonny, who out-jumped and outpaced O'Brien's Rest Assured in the fastest Ladsbrokes Super Maiden heat last Monday, was having his first start for three months.
At his only previous outing Rocking Sonny began brilliantly, like he did on Monday, but got a bit wide and was beaten a nose in 20.96.
Rocking Sonny's owner-trainer Steven Micallef explained: "What happened was that he hurt his fibula in that race.
"He jumped terrific again last Monday and if he can eventually run 520m and keeps beginning like that I'm going to have some fun with him.''
Micallef, a hobby trainer, has five greyhounds in work.
"My late father Paul Micallef, who passed away many years ago, trained greyhounds and I'm related to George Micallef, a current trainer,'' Steven Micallef said.
"Although he was sidelined for three months Rocking Sonny is still only 21 months old so he still has plenty of time.''
