Dual Group One winner Slick Splits and National Derby victor Paw Oswald set the time standards in Saturday night's heats of the Wheeler Kennels Golden Easter Egg but pre-post final favourite Cumbria Jack lost no admirers after sharing third fastest time.
Slick Splits, raced by NSW GBOTA chief operating officer Jason Lyne and trained in Victoria by Tom Dailly, ran down Back Tomorrow to win heat eight by five lengths, covering the 520m in 29.25.
The winner of Melbourne's group one double the Topgun and Maturity Classic, Slick Splits had not previously raced at Wentworth Park but had signalled his readiness to reproduce his Melbourne form with fast 29.37 trial on the track.
A son of Feral Franky, he was runner-up to Dramatical in the group one Australian Cup at The Meadows on February 28 before winning a Free-For-All at Sandown in 29.38 on March 12.
Paw Oswald, who once again showed his liking for Wentworth Park, was just .06sec behind Slick Splits on the clock when he led throughout to win heat five in 29.31.
The win, at his 80th start, lifted Paw Oswald's earnings to $328,000, including last year's group one National Derby at Wentworth Park.
Trainer Mark Delbridge said: "He has been a marvellous dog because apart from the Derby the only big race he has won was the $25,000 to the winner Broken Hill Cup.
"So 29 of his 31 wins have been in ordinary races, which shows what a consistent campaigner he has been.
"I have 60 greyhounds in my kennels but Paw Oswald is the best of them and as he turned three in November I hope I can find a replacement because he can't go on forever.''
Delbridge's wife Lisa said: "Mark and I have to pick up 11 newly educated dogs from the Wheeler kennels on our way home to Melbourne tonight so maybe there is another Paw Oswald among them.
"Paw Oswald goes well everywhere but he has a special liking for Wentworth Park, which is ironic as his original owner, the late Paul Wheeler, was no fan of Wenty.''
Cumbria Jack shared third fastest Easter Egg heat figures of 29.48 with the Ballarat and Shepparton Cup winner Off The Chart.
Cumbria Jack was in some trouble early but rallied on the back straight to be third approaching the home bend and dashed past Dazzle You at the top of the straight to win by two lengths in 29.48.
Off The Chart, considered "suspect" at 520m before the heats, ran his rivals off their legs in heat two and despite tiring in the straight, won by a neck from Taw Galaxy in 29.48.
Off The Chart's second and third splits of 13.55 and 17.59 were described by local trainer, dual Million Dollar Chase winner Peter Lagogiane, as "out of this world.''
Gold Force, who flashed home to be beaten narrowly by Off The Chart in the Shepparton Cup on March 21, came from fourth on the back straight to win heat four in 29.52.
Jodie Lord trained heat winners Taormina in 29.51 and Texas Bandit in 29.62, while the consistent Foreign Capital won for Vic Sultana in 29.71 and Taw Major continued battling trainer Andrew Rowe's remarkable run of success by winning his heat in 29.57.
