Syd Swain had an unplaced finalist in a Wentworth Park age classic in 1997 but will pursue a redemption of that loss when Toodles Jack tackles next Saturday night's heats of the group one Vic Peters Classic.
Toodles Jack took his recent Wentworth Park tally to four wins and a second from five starts when he led all the way to edge out Jack Smith's bonny bitch Lorraine Jacky over 520m on Saturday night.
Toodles Jack covered the trip in a slick 29.96 on the rain-affected track and will now chase Wentworth Park classic glory, which eluded his trainer Syd Swain 27 years ago.
"In those days the Peter Mosman Classic, now restricted to bitches, was for young dogs of both sexes and my dog Halcyon Days reached the 1997 final,'' Swain recalled.
"He finished sixth to a dog called William Wallace, while the champion sprinter Token Prince was also among the unplaced division.
"My son Dean thought Lorraine Jacky got onto Toodles Jack's heels a couple of times tonight and reckons we were a bit lucky to win.
"But Toodles Jack keeps getting home and after the Vic Peters Classic series I might give him a little break.''
Cindy Keeping, winner of the Chief Havoc Cup at Gunnedah on June 9, produced a sensational audition for next Saturday night's Wentworth Park heats of the group one Peter Mosman Opal with an all-the-way runaway win in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday night.
Cindy Keeping's previous best WP time had been 29.64 but she slashed those figures to 29.45 on Saturday.
Whelped in May, 2022, Cindy Keeping is the perfect age for the Peter Mosman Opal which is for bitches whelped on or after March 1 of that year.
She will be joined in the Opal heats by her litter sister Candice Keeping, who led throughout to win Saturday's final event by eight lengths in 29.81.
Candice Keeping's victory capped a marvelous night for Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts who took out races eight, nine and 10, winning race nine with her veteran sprinter Tom Keeping.
Her time of 42.69 was mediocre but Linkin Girl's last-to-first performance to take out a 720m event on Saturday was outstanding.
She bungled the start completely and was still a distant fifth on the back straight and a close fourth at the top of the straight.
Linkin Girl charged home so powerfully she won running away by one-and-a-half lengths.
Trainer Lakis Michael said: "Gee, she might it hard for herself by missing the kick so badly.
"I reckon she must have covered about 900m, not 720m, so I'm very proud of her.
"What makes a win like that so special is that I bred Linkin Girl myself, from a bitch named Sweet Nangar which I had bought from fellow trainer and top breeder Dennis Barnes.
"Sweet Nangar won 21 from 49 races and is now proving herself as a producer.
"When you have a winner like Linkin Girl tonight and you have bred the greyhound yourself you get a special kick out of it.''
Cumbria Mal, whose goal is the Masters Meteor final at Wentworth Park on October 18, continued trainer Steve Fitch's remarkable run of success in veterans' races by posting her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.75 when she ran down Fascinate Trump to take out Saturday night's Equalizer @ Stud Masters, 520m.
Saturday's top grade race was taken out by Nad Al Sheba in a flying 29.68, the dog's 17th success in 39 starts.
Nad Al Sheba's trainer Peter Lagogiane is enjoying a tremendous run of success with his unbeaten youngster Depeche winning at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
Depeche notched her third win in as many appearances with her winning margins totalling more than 26 lengths.
