When FASCINATE PEARL finished second at her Wentworth Park debut on July 25 she was trainer Steve Heggs' first city starter and on Thursday night she gave the hobby trainer from Neath, near CESSNOCK, his first Wenty winner.
FASCINATE PEARL led all the way and just lasted to win a 520m fifth grade by a nose in 30.51.
After winning up the straight at Healesville, Victoria, in her first race appearance, FASCINATE PEARL was beaten 18 times and was returned to her NSW central coast breeder Noelene Holloway.
Steve Heggs, a hobby trainer who works as a handyman, has just three kennels but was almost overwhelmed by the generous round of congratulations he received from fellow participants on Thursday night.
"I couldn't believe how many other trainers came up to me and shook my hand, while several also found my wife Carol and extended their good wishes to her too,'' Heggs said.
"That sort of reaction really makes us so happy to be part of this sport.''
Heggs, 47, has no family background in the industry, but 20 years ago was working with well-known Hunter Valley trainer Terry Kunde and became enthralled by his stories about greyhounds.
"I have always loved dogs so it seemed a natural progression to get a couple of greyhounds to train,'' Heggs said.
"They were giveaways and the fact that I didn't know what I was doing as far as training goes didn't help them either.
"But then I met trainers Greg Freeman and Eric Castle and they gave me a lot of hints.
"After being with Eric, who was a group one winning trainer, I had to forget a few things I had picked up and learn new techniques.
"Before she raced there she clocked 30.04 in a trial at her first look at the track but that was after she came direct from the van transporting her across to the starting boxes.
"She didn't have to be kennelled and although she doesn't play up badly on race night, she does tend to get very nervy so I think she can do better in an earlier race than the 10th event she contested on Thursday.''
Keith Pedrana trained his first Wentworth Park quinella in 20 years when Whiskey Dawn held on to beat her litter brother Mini Whiskey by a head in a 520m fifth grade on Thursday night.
Pedrana handled Mini Whiskey while hs 20-year-old daughter Tiana, who also holds a trainer's licence, boxed Whiskey Dawn, with both greyhounds being from the second litter whelped by Pedrana's 2017 Ladies Bracelet winner Dawn Mini.
"I'm lucky I own both Whiskey Dawn and Mini Whiskey and get to keep all the prizemoney because I backed the wrong dog,'' Pedrana declared.
"When I trialled them together at Wenty, Mini Whisky gave Whiskey Dawn a start and beat her three lengths in 29.85.
"And before that he had clocked 24.03 in a post-to-post slip, he is a machine, but his sister found a way to beat him on Thursday night.
"Whiskey Dawn usually gets far more wide than she did on Thursday night so Mini Whiskey, who is a dead-set railer, ran onto her handquarters on the back straight, which stopped him winning.
"But I'll be back with them at Wentworth Park on Thursday night to have another crack.''
