Champion jockey Brenton Avdulla and highly successful trainer Joe Pride are accustomed to winning big thoroughbred races, but they enjoyed Group One greyhound glory when their dog Gus The Jet took out Saturday night's Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic at Wentworth Park.
Gus The Jet went into the final as by far the most inexperienced runner after having just six starts, but the Michelle Sultana-trained 25-month-old youngster led all the way.
He began smartly from box six and won by two lengths from Taw Major, who finished solidly to beat favourite Cumbria Benny for second prizemoney.
The winner covered the 520m in 29.65, .21sec slower than the Michelle Sultana-trained Rinsed The Lot took to win the $75,000 event last year.
The race record stands at 29.33, posted by Zipping Remus in 2023.
Brenton Avdulla is currently riding in Hong Kong but he and Joe Pride combined to win 50 races when he was plying his trade in Australia.
Gus The Jet
Also experiencing group one success for the first time on Saturday was Patricia Chaker, whose bitch Coast Rig led from the first turn to win the Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal by a length from Summer Quinn.
Zipping Chetty came from last at box rise to finish a length back third, with the winner clocking 29.78 for the 520m.
Nangar Lucy set the Mosman Opal race record at 29.59 in 2023.
Favourite Canya Sapphire led narrowly approaching the first turn but Coast Rig, with the advantage of the inside running on the popular pick, drove through to hit the front on the corner.
Chaker has always had a high opinion of the winner, as although the greyhound was beaten in her first 10 WP appearances, she flew Coast Rig to Perth in May where she finished second in the WA Oaks final at Cannington.
Coast Rig
Chaker's sister Minnie Finn was also in the winner's circle at Wentworth Park on Saturday, winning with Zipping Mayer in 30.04.
Zipping Mayer was fifth early but drove to the lead on the back straight and careered away to score by nearly 10 lengths.
After the race Minnie Finn said: "It was a mixed result because Zipping Mayer knocked her kennelmate Poco Rico down at the first turn.
"Zipping Mayer is very strong and when she goes through the grades at Wentworth Park I intend stepping her up to middle distance racing.''
Woolgoolga Gal recorded her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.59 in her all the way 520m fifth grade win on Saturday night, but trainer Michael Galea believes she is capable of further improvement.
"She will be four in January but tonight she was having only her 29th start,'' Galea said.
"Unfortunately she was sidelined for five months after tearing a leg muscle.
"I was able to bring her back gradually by slipping her up my 180m straight track.
"Woolgoolga Gal took a while to get used to Wentworth Park, she didn't seem to like coming here at first and was beaten at her first three attempts.
"But for some reason she now seems really happy when we arrive at this track and it shows in the way she is racing here.''
Trainer Jason Magri thanked fellow trainer Jay Opetaia after Santino Kade had scored a six lengths win from box eight in 29.69 on Saturday night.
Santino Kade exited box eight but got a dream run down the outside when Opetaia's bitch In The Sky, who had box seven, veered sharply to the left when the boxes opened.
Training honours were with Andrew Rowe, who won with Taw Galaxy and Taw Commander, while Taw Galaxy's litter brother Taw Major was runner-up in Gus The Jet's Vic Peters Classic.
