A torn leg muscle robbed Comet A Cost of possibly the best six months of his career but Jason Magri's greyhound, who turned three in December, is back campaigning for the Group 2 Ladbrokes Bulli Gold Cup.
Comet A Cost followed a desperately unlucky fourth in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park on January 20 with a scorching near personal best 29.50 14 lengths win in a 520m fifth grade there six nights later.
On Friday night he goes up only slightly in class and is sure to be a long odds-on favourite to take out the Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
Heats of the Bulli Gold Cup will be held on February 11 with the 472m final five nights later and trainer Jason Magri said: "That is Comet A Cost's goal.
"It was cruel to see him miss six months' racing but the upside is that he has come back as good as ever.''
Comet A Cost has not won over the Bulli Cup trip of 472m but he has won over 400m at Bulli in a sizzling 22.19 and on current form is better suited over the additional 72m.
There are few greyhounds boasting a better strike rate than John Grief's short course flyer Running Reds, who has won 20 from 34 starts and is looking to enhance this tally in Friday night's top grade 280m event, race 11 on the Wentworth Park card.
Running Red is ideally boxed in eight but could face stern opposition from his litter brother and kennel mate Light One Up.
John Grief said: "Running Reds is not a desperate wide runner but is suited in box eight because he gets that extra room to move.
"Not only has he won 20 from 34 but he has only missed a place six times so I doubt if I will ever get one as good as him.
"Having said that, his brother Light One Up is actually a bit faster but Running Reds is just a great race dog.
"Whereas 300m is as far as Running Reds likes to go, Light One Up can get 400m.
"If Light One Up happened to lead on Friday night Running Reds can't beat him, but at the same time if Running Reds makes the early pace he should be winning.''
There isn't a better-graded greyhound at Wentworth Park on Friday night than Binalong Time, who has box seven in the Ladbrokes Blended Bets Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Binalong Time has won three races at Wentworth Park while her five rivals have managed just a single win from 25 races on the track.
Trainer Minnie Finn said: "Binalong Time is well boxed out wide and this looks a winnable race for her.
"She won over 622m at Richmond at her most recent start on January 24 but there wasn't a suitable middle distance race for her there this week so I decided to drop her back to 520m at Wentworth Park.
"Since her Richmond win I have been working her along at home and she is ready to go.''
Champion trainer Jack Smith rarely brings a dog to Wentworth Park without a trial on the track but has been forced to do that with the unraced Irinka Benji, who makes his debut in Friday night's NSW GBOTA Welcome Maiden, 520m.
