Trainer Steve Fitch considered Cumbria Benny good enough to contest the Group 2 Ladbrokes Nowra Puppy Classic, and after qualifying for the $40,000 to the winner final the dog looks well placed in Thursday night's second heat of a fifth grade series at Wentworth Park.
Cumbria Benny followed a fast 26.16 win over 472m at Bulli on April 8 with a second placing behind ultimate winner Sooty Keeping in a 520m Puppy Classic heat on April 20 and a gallant fifth to that greyhound in the April 26 final.
Cumbria Benny will be making his Wentworth Park debut this week but Fitch trialled the dog last Thursday and was satisfied with his time.
"He didn't set the track on fire, but there had been a fair bit of rain during the night and Cumbria Benny went close to breaking 30 seconds,'' Fitch said.
"I expect him to be vastly improved by that experience.
"He has box eight on Thursday and while I would have preferred to see him drawn inside, Cumbria Benny has been boxed wide at his past three races and has handled those draws capably.''
Cumbria Benny clocked a slick 29.67 in finishing fifth in Sooty Keeping's Puppy Classic final at Fitch was pleased with that performance.
He said: "Benny got trapped wide all the way and was far from disgraced.''
Cumbria Benny will need to nail the start on Thursday as the far more experienced Ritza Duane, who has won four races at Wentworth Park, where he boasts a personal best 520m time of 29.73, has box one.
Zipping Pfeiffer took a tumble at her only Wentworth Park appearance but trainer Joe McFadyen is hopeful the bitch can reproduce an earlier 520m trial on the track when she contests Thursday's first heat of a fifth grade series.
"When having her first look at Wenty, Zipping Pfeiffer trialled 29.64 for the 520m so I thought, wow, we are going to have some fun with this bitch,'' McFadyen said.
"But then she fell there in November and was sidelined for five months.
"She has box six on Thursday and while she would probably be better positioned in an inside box, this race does look suitable for her.''
Zipping Pfeiffer led all the way from box six to win over 515m at Ladbrokes Gardens on April 26 in a sizzling 29.46 before clocking a respectable 29.76 when second, from box two, behind Canya Talking there last Friday.
Taw Galaxy, who gave trainer Ruth Matic her second success in Wentworth Park's Group 3 Magic Maiden final on April 12, returns to headquarters in Thursday night's Ladbrokes Blackbook 1-2 wins fifth grade over 520m.
"He had box one at Goulburn, and if your dog misses the kick from an inside alley over 440m there, they usually get shut out immediately,'' Matic said.
"So Taw Galaxy did well to push through and reach the lead before coming away to win easily.
"Thursday's race is a preferred box draw, but while I did nominate for an inside box, it seems like everyone had the same idea, and he has come up with box six.
"But he has a vacant box on his left, so if he gets away cleanly he should be okay.''
Destroying has sent favourite backers home happy by winning his past three Wentworth Park races and will carry their hopes again in Thursday night's Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Destroying has box four, but with an empty box on his left, he should only need to repeat his recent form to win comfortably.
The Jodie Lord-trained dog has amassed total margins of more than 18 lengths in his hat-trick of Wentworth Park wins, stretching from April 15 to last Thursday night.
