Peter Mattress had once sold 88-year-old Queenslander Robert Towns Wilson a puppy and that connection resulted in the local trainer notching a second Wentworth Park win with Wilson's dog Kilcoy Castle on Saturday night.
Kilcoy Castle produced a 5.49 first split when he led all the way at Wentworth Park on May 15 and jumped in front again, this time reeling off an initial section of 5.46, to lead throughout in 30.13 on Saturday.
"Robert lives in Kilcoy, about 70km north-west of Brisbane, and he sent me Kilcoy Castle early last year after the dog had won seven races in South Australia,'' Mattress said.
"He had been seeking better prizemoney but in his first couple of trials for me Kilcoy Castle was very disappointing.
"I actually phoned him telling him the dog was not much good because he could not break 23sec for the 388m trip at Gosford.
"But then I put Kilcoy Castle in a race there and he won first up for us in the smart time of 22.19.
"That told me Kilcoy Castle wasn't a solo trial dog but went better in competition with other greyhounds.''
David Smith landed a winning treble at Wentworth Park on Saturday, as trainer of Cool Story who won in 30.14, Looking Pristine, successful in 30.31, and as the owner of the Rodney Morley trained Maggie's Ethics, a 29.98 winner.
Happiest on the track after Looking Pristine's win was Smith's 14-year-old son Cooper, who handled his first Wentworth Park winner.
Maggie Ethics' trainer Rodney Morley said: "David had sent me a photo of six or seven maidens saying I could select one to train.
"Although she had a dislocated toe I liked the look of Maggie's Ethics and was keen to take her because her dam was White Sox Ethics, the 729m Dapto record holder.
"She got over her toe injury and has now had two wins and eight placings at WP for us.''
When Goulburn trainer Mick Hardman began trialling Zipping Cruise he was convinced he had a future group race dog, but while that has not eventuated his greyhound notched his fourth WP win on Saturday night.
After Zipping Cruise led throughout in 29.98, Hardman said: "In his first trial over 350m at Goulburn, Zipping Cruise clocked 19.90 before clocking a flying 19.60 at his second hit-out.
"Unfortunately he did not improve on those times and has not gone on with it but while he is no superstar he has good early pace, is a keen chaser and has been a handy dog.''
Trainer honours on Saturday were with Minnie Finn, who won a 720m race with Might Have Been in 42.31, and 520m events with Zipping Mayer in 29.79 and Zipping Dekkers in 29.86.
Before Might Have Been's race Finn said: "He hasn't been over 720m since April 5 so I had been hoping for a dry, fast track tonight.
"Might Have Been should make the pace but is likely to get very tired over the concluding stages.''
Might Have Been did get weary in the straight but after setting up a massive 12 lengths lead in the early stages, he still had five lengths to spare over his rivals at the finish.
Saturday's top grade 520m event went to Speedy Pie, who had been run down by Minnie Finn's Gets Late Early in the Brother Fox Cup final at Dubbo on May 17.
But on Saturday Speedy Pie made the pace again, was headed by Ali Tango approaching the home bend, but surprisingly came again in the straight to beat that dog by a half head in 29.89.
Also breaking 30sec on Saturday night was Susan Smith's 2024 Young Star Classic winner My Pharaoh, who grabbed the lead at the first turn to win a 520m fourth and fifth grade in 29.84.
