Honk Honk went into Saturday night's 520m fifth grade as the fastest bitch to race at Wentworth Park but trainer Tony Mason admitted to being nervous before the bitch scored her 10th win in 19 starts.
Honk Honk, whose personal best figures of 29.19 posted on March 8 have not been matched at headquarters by any other female greyhound, was fourth away on Saturday but led at the first turn and won easily in a fast 29.56.
Reason for Mason's nerves was that Honk Honk had taken a tumble at her previous Wentworth Park appearance on March 22.
She had scored two brilliant wins and a second in three subsequent races at Gosford but Mason was still anxious to see whether that fall could affect Honk Honk's confidence at Wentworth Park.
"I thought about giving her a trial back at Wenty but figured that wouldn't achieve much because a solo trial means nothing when they are racing against other greyhounds,'' Mason said.
"And it would have been the waste of a run at Wentworth Park, but yes, I was nervous before tonight's race and am very relieved she went so well.
"Honk Honk has such explosive pace I don't believe many greyhounds would be able to go with her once she gets into stride.''
Tiki Magic's love affair with Wentworth Park continued on Saturday night when she out-muscled fellow pacemakers Tracey Taro and Canya Not going into the first turn to win a 520m fifth grade by a half head in 29.82.
The narrow win over the strong finishing Aunty Meeka took Tiki Magic's record at Wentworth Park to five wins and seven seconds from 15 starts.
"Her record would be even better if she had not had time off after needing 18 stithches in a gashed foot following one of her races,'' trainer Preston Rowles said.
"A couple of her wins were in non-penalty finals which is why she was well placed in tonight's race.
"Tiki Magic got run down in a couple of races at Wenty when the tracks were heavy, as she is a front-runner who loves a fast, dry surface.''
Connections described Tiki Magic as "no champion but a real race dog, a ping-and-go greyhound.''
Freydis, who lifted her earnings to over $72,000 with a strong finishing win in a 520m grades two and three Masters event on Saturday night, was described by trainer Luke Azzopardi as "no world beater but a good trier.''
Freydis, who has now won 12 of 86 starts, was headed off by Shot Of Faith leaving the first turn but regained the lead at the top of the straight and came away to win by three lengths in 30.32.
"She doesn't like getting crowded but got away cleanly tonight and when she settled in second spot on the back straight I knew she would be hard to beat because she is strong at the end of 520m,'' Azzopardi said.
"Freydis descends from champion stayer Miata so my son Peter, who owns her, will probably breed from her when she finishes racing.
"I think Freydis would make a good brood bitch because she has the perfect temperament for motherhood.''
Glitzy Ethics is likely to be given another crack at long distance racing following her powerful win in 30.05 in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday night.
After being third most of the way, Glitzy Ethics roared home along the rails to win by three lengths, opening her Wentworth Park account after six placings from 11 previous starts.
Trainer David Smith said later: "Her problem is she just won't leave the fence, she relies on finding a run along the rails and fortunately she got that on the home turn tonight.''
Taormina, whose long range mission is the group one Dapto Megastar in early September, notched her 10th Wentworth Park win and her fourth in succession at headquarters with an all the way 29.60 win in Saturday's top grade 520m event.
Another to post quick time on Saturday was West Rock Casey, a litter brother to kennelmate to crack stayer Late Night News.
The Caroline Hughes-trained West Rock Casey pounced on the lead at the half-way mark and bolted in by eight lengths in 29.63, .05sec inside his previous best Wentworth Park time.
