Jungle Johnny and Cumbria Jack, currently the top sprinters in NSW, are set to headline a stellar cast in Friday night's group two Bulli Gold Cup heats.
Mark Gatt, who took out Saturday night's group one NSW GBOTA National Derby with Ritza Tears, won the Bulli Gold Cup in 2014 with Gradence and with Ritza Lenny in 2018, intends nominating his champion sprinter Jungle Johnny.
Set to join Jungle Johnny among the Cup entries are Nowra trainer Steve Fitch's super duo, Wentworth Park joint 520m record holder Cumbria Jack and group one Dapto Megastar winner Eriza Sparkles.
"Cumbria Jack has been out of action with a couple of little problems but I expect him to be ready for the Cup heats on Friday night,'' Steve Fitch said.
"And Eriza Sparkles, whose 29.32 was the fastest time of the night at WP last Saturday, has twice trialled 25.90 over the 472m Bulli Cup course so she will also be nominated.''
Eriza Sparkles has now won over $324,000 in prizemoney from just 21 career outings
Meanwhile Jason Magri, who has had finalists in each of the past four Bulli Gold Cups, plans to enter five classy sprinters in the group two heats on Friday night.
"The up-and-coming trio Dennis Keeping, who has won three from four starts, Lomax Keeping, a winner of four from six and Lockdown, whose tally stands at six wins from 16 races, will be nominated,'' Magri said.
"I will also be represented by the more experienced litter brothers Allan Keeping and Robert Keeping, who have won 35 of their 87 starts.
"Along with Richmond, Bulli is my favourite track but I have never won the Gold Cup, the circuit's biggest race.
"Zipping Conway was fastest heat winner in 2022 but was unplaced in the final, then Zipping Novak finished second in 2023, Zipping Megatron ran fifth for me in 2024 and last year my dog Chief Lightning was runner-up to Good Odds Cobber.''
DYLAN Kedwell regularly handles the greyhounds trained by his mum and dad Sarah and Chris but until last Friday the 14-year-old had been "too nervous" to lead out and box one of this 20-strong team for a race.
But urged on by his parents, Dylan, who is about to go into year 10 at high school, boxed Kalani Sea for a 400m event at The Gardens and no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when she jumped in front and led throughout.
Kalani Sea took her record to two wins from three starts and gave Dylan the rare achievement of winning a race with the first greyhound he had boxed.
Dad Chris Kedwell said: "Dylan has been boxing our dogs in trials for ages but has always reckoned he was too nervous take on that responsibility on race day.
"But we told him he had to do it sooner or later so it was great that Kalani Sea won for him.''
Having nerves when putting a greyhound in a box is natural, just ask group one winning jockey Brenton Avdulla.
Avdulla, who has ridden 13 group one winners and won Golden Slippers on Estijaab in 2018 and Fireburn four years later, admitted to being "a bag of nerves" when required to handle the Michelle Sultana-trained Connections at WP in May, 2022.
Avdulla was part-owner of the dog and under heavy persuasion by Sultana and her partner Darryl Thomas, was given the role of handler.
After Connections won Avdulla declared: "Putting that greyhound into the starting box was more nerve-wracking than riding in a group one race.''
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