Busy Man has lived up to his name by notching seven wins from his first seven starts but the brave punters who took $1.04 about him in last Friday's Richmond 320m race would have been concerned if they had known how busy the dog had been leading up to the event.
Busy Man's trainer Syd Swain revealed that the dog had managed to rip up not one, but two lots of bedding, while in the Richmond kennels waiting for his race.
Busy Man
"I was called by the stewards because Busy Man had got his muzzle off and torn his bed into scraps,'' Swain said.
"So I put a stronger muzzle on him along with a new bed but just before his race he got that one off as well and ripped the second bed into pieces.
"I don't know if he actually ate any of the bedding but I reckon all this carry-on in the kennels caused him to not go as fast as he had done in his previous two wins.
"Busy Man's missions this year are the Ladbrokes Thunderbolt at Grafton in June and the Goulburn Workers Club Fireball in October.
"All his wins have been over 320m at Richmond so these races will suit him.
"I'm not keen at this stage to try him over 400m because, although he has trialled well over that trip, I'm wary of them as they are invariably bend starts where dogs can be checked early.''
Ferness earned a crack at next month's Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Derby by winning in a slick 29.59 at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Ferness trounced a hot field including Young Star final winner My Pharaoh, Speedy Pie and Chief Lightning, previously unbeaten in five Wentworth Park 520m appearances.
It was Ferness' first win since August and trainer Ron Evans said: "He has had a couple of niggling little injuries but I expected him to run well at Wenty after he clocked a fast 22.48 in a 401m trial at Richmond last Monday.
"The 401m track record is 22.36 and as Ferness is even better suited over 520m the Derby heats on February 21 look a good option for us.''
