LUKIALI's trainer Mick Hardman attributed the dog's remarkable form turn-around to his 13-year-old son Tyrone after the greyhound's 11 lengths-winning romp at Wentworth Park on Thursday night.
Originally trained in Victoria, LUKIALI did not score his first win until his 12th start and came to NSW with just that single success from 18 races.
After a win and two placings from three appearances at The Gardens, LUKIALI joined Hardman's kennels in June but the dog's early trial times were far from encouraging.
"LUKIALI went very ordinary in a couple of trials at Goulburn and I transferred him from the main racing kennel block into those reserved for youngsters and out-of-form dogs.
"But Tyrone had formed a special bond with this dog and insisted LUKIALI return to the kennels reserved for the better performers.
"Every day when he gets home from school Tyrone plays with LUKIALI and cuddles him and since that has been happening the dog seemed happier and magically transformed.
"So I gave LUKIALI a post-to-post trial at Dapto and he broke 24 seconds, which is absolutely flying.
"It was so out of character that I took him back there again a week later just to double-check there had not been something wrong with the timing.
"But he got under the 24 seconds mark again and I rang the owner, Jason Carrozza to tell him he now had a serious greyhound on his hands.
"In his first trial at Wentworth ParkLUKIALI went 29.60-odd for the 520m and after his first race there, when he clocked 29.84 getting beaten a length into third place by OMEGA JACOB, he came out on Thursday and went straight to the lead from box four.''
LUKIALI's time on Thursday of 29.86 was only .14sec outside the best of the night posted by Golden Phase, who has now won seven of 12 starts.
Power And Glory, who has box four in Thursday night's 520m Group 1 Ladbrokes Megastar, will be joined at Dapto by his litter brother and kennelmate Polaris Missile, who will contest the final of a 1-3 Wins fifth grade over the same journey.
Polaris Missile was having his first start in nine months when he won his heat in a handy 30.12 last Thursday, and trainer Ken Burnett believes there is plenty of improvement in the dog.
"He got a bit tired in his heat but he will keep improving,'' Burnett said.
"Five nights before last week's heats Polaris Missile had a post-to-post hand-slip at Wentworth Park and he clocked smart time of 24.13, which is really encouraging.''
