Rema's Amethyst surprised even her breeder-owner-trainer Eddie Foyle with her scorching 29.55 six lengths win at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but he can see no reason why she won't win again this week.
Rema's Amethyst has box six in the Bob Price Trophies Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and on times is the fastest Wentworth Park greyhound in the field.
Her kennelmate and litter sister Rema's Blue is in the slightly stronger Ladbrokes Sports Bar fifth grade but she could give the veteran trainer a winning double.
"When they were educated there was only a nose between them,'' Foyle said.
"And when my niece Charmaine Roberts watched them in the paddocks after she reared them for me, she always reckoned Rema's Blue was going to be the best.
"My wife Noelene backed Rema's Blue last week and I was cheering for her so when she ran second I was watching her and didn't notice our other bitch had won easily!
"I said to another trainer I've got a second placing and he replied, you've also won it mate!''
Foyle trains his dogs from a backyard in suburban Werrington, 50km west of the Sydney CBD, and exercises them around a local park.
"We have a swimming pool at home so on hot days I get the dogs to take turns sitting in the water on the steps of the pool and they thrive on that,'' he said.
Rema's Amethyst
Trainer Mark Gatt has been "sweating" on Ritza Smoke drawing an inside box and while the dog has box two in Saturday's Ladbrokes Easy Form Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, he is unsure about him beating his kennelmate Deadly Class.
"Deadly Class seems to handle any box and won in 29.38 from box seven at his last Wentworth Park start but his record from box one is six wins from seven attempts,'' Gatt said.
"Ritza Smoke has won three of his four races from box two and is a completely different dog from an inside alley but it's disappointing he has run into Deadly Class on Saturday night.''
Serial Offender, a winner of just two 440m races at Goulburn, will be favourite for Saturday night's Ladbrokes Own Spring Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Although he has not raced at Wentworth Park, Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Serial Offender, said: "He has had a trial at Wenty but he went only fair.
"After he won his maiden at Goulburn in February by 10 lengths in smart time I thought he might become a champion.
"But then he went amiss and was sidelined for five months before running second over 350m at Goulburn and then winning easily over 440m there on October 25.
"Serial Offender is ideally drawn in box one on Saturday but his chances depend on how much he can improve on his trial at Wenty.''
Lord is hoping a change in training routine continues to account for Omega Jacob's improved form with the dog to exit box five in Saturday's Ladbrokes Blackbook Final, 520m.
Omega Jacob's 29.68 was easily fastest time in last week's heats and Lord said: "He was going ordinary but I started just putting him up the straight between races and he came out and went great in his heat.''
In his heat Omega Jacob ran down Zipping Cruise to win by a half length and that dog, trained by Michael Hardman, looks his main danger again after drawing box seven, the position he handled so well last week.
Best bet on Saturday should be Tyler Fly High who should relish the small field and his box two draw in the GBOTA Chairman's Cup, a 520m grades one to four event.
