Good Odds Cobber confirmed early favoritism for the up-coming group one Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg with a sensational all-the-way win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The Ladbrokes Bulli Gold Cup winner appeared to have an awkward box eight draw - with a pair of wide runners in six and seven - in the top grade 520m event but he exploded from the traps and won by four lengths in 29.21, well inside his previous best Wentworth Park figures of 29.33, posted from box one.
Good Odds Cobber's first split of 5.36 was just .01sec slower than his best at Wentworth Park and Saturday's win took this remarkable dog's tally to 34 wins from 58 starts.
Last year trainer Frank Hurst had been expected to tackle the Golden Easter Egg with Good Odds Cobber but instead he tackled the age restricted New Sensation and his dog took out that final.
This year the Golden Easter Egg series, which begins with heats at Wentworth Park on March 29, is Good Odds Cobber's mission but Hurst is now contemplating taking the dog to Temora for heats of group three Cup there on March 9.
"I will probably have to put Good Odds Cobber in the Temora Cup heats without a trial on the track but it looks a good series for him leading up to the beginning of the Easter Egg series,'' trainer Hurst said.
When Ray Newton assisted Keybow's owner Kel Lean with that dual group one winning dog he was rewarded with the gift of a daughter of the Perth Cup winner, a bitch named Keydra.
And on Saturday night Keydra's son Here We Go, part-owned by Newton and trained by Bev Wood, scored an impressive all-the-way win, taking out a 520m fifth grade by nine lengths in a slick 29.75.
Keydra won only six races but her litter sired by Fernando Bale and whelped in May, 2022, are highly talented.
Here We Go won over 515m at The Gardens on February 15 in a scorching 29.22 and when he nailed the start from box five on Saturday night the result was never in doubt.
After the race his part-owner Ray Newton said: "Here We Go always runs into the boxes as if he is going to jump fast but usually he takes a short stride when he hits the ground and then takes off.
"But tonight he seemed to get the start just right.''
Not Certain ended a Wentworth Park drought for his 85-year-old Goulburn area owner-trainer-breeder Alex Anderson with a surprise all-the-way win in Saturday's 520m Masters race, clocking 30.42.
Anderson, who emigrated on his own from Scotland when he was just 16, explained: "I came to Australia after seeing an advertisement at home offering young people the opportunity to work on farms out here.
"I took up the offer and never went back, even though I still have a lot of family in Scotland.
"But my father and grandfather both trained greyhounds in Scotland so I guess it was in my blood.
"My problem these days is I have trouble walking my dogs to the starting boxes but tonight my son Keith, who lives in Sydney, was able to come to Wentworth Park tonight to handle Not Certain.''
Stan's Dream will be set for the group three Simply Limelight New Sensation heats at Wentworth Park on March 15 following his brilliant all-the-way win on Saturday night.
Stan's Dream, among the most reliably fast beginners in training, clocked a personal best 29.79 in Saturday's seven-and-a-half lengths win, reeling off slick early sections of 5.40 and 13.78.
Trainer Mick Hardman said: "He is the right age for the New Sensation and as tonight was his 20th start, and his ninth at Wenty, he will be among the most experienced dogs in the series.''
