When veteran trainer Brian Barrington attended last year's Richmond Puppy Auction the day coincided with wife Lorraine's birthday.
So when a little eight month old daughter of Billy Dance's classy bitch Ibrox Wildfire, who won $107,000 on the track, caught Lorraine's eye, Brian bought the puppy for $11,000 as a birthday gift for his wife
That pup, now racing as Status Jewel, is unbeaten in three races at The Gardens and Gosford, and will make her Wentworth Park debut in Thursday night's Gosford to WP Final.
Brian Barrington said: "Status Jewel has box five but that might be okay because she tends to run a bit wide.
"While she usually misses the jump slightly she possesses terrific early pace and goes very quick when she hits the ground.
"And she is a tough little thing, because when I walk her alongside bigger male dogs she pushes them aside if they crowd her too much.''
In last week's 515m Gosford qualifiers, Status Jewel was second fastest heat winner when she stopped the clock at 29.59, while Fear To Excel posted best time of 29.52.
Fear To Excel (pictured) had box one in his heat and goes from box three on Thursday, but has the advantage of vast Wentworth Park experience, while Status Jewel has not raced there.
Fear To Excel has been runner-up at his past four Wentworth Park starts so looks the dog for Status Jewel to beat on Thursday.
Ron Evans, who enjoyed his biggest training success when Ferness won the 2025 Richmond Derby, has two of his former star's half brothers making their Wentworth Park debuts on Thursday.
Litter siblings Prince Tommy has box six in race five while Prince Legacy will exit the same alley in race six, a stronger fifth grade.
"I took them to Wentworth Park last week and gave them each a post-to-post trial and was happy with how they went,'' Evans said.
"And I know a lot more about training greyhounds now than when Ferness was racing.
"I really had no idea what I was doing and made mistakes when I was getting Ferness ready for the group races he contested.
"Ferness is now at stud but while he won over $177,000 he had a lot more ability than that indicates because I was learning with him as we went along.
"I've always thought Prince Legacy was faster than his litter brother but Prince Tommy is stronger so could be better suited over the 520m at Wentworth Park.''
Crack Victorian trainer Mark Delbridge, fresh from his win with Croydon in last week's $25,000 to the winner Broken Hill Cup, will be at Wentworth Park on Thursday night with four, and possibly five, up-and-coming youngsters.
Delbridge took out the 2025 group one National Derby at Wentworth Park with Paw Oswald and his Thursday night entries will target the Vic Peters Classic and Peter Mosman Opal, both $100,000 to the winner age restricted classics, at Wentworth Park, later next month.
Delbridge has Paw Zhana in box four race six, a 520m fifth grade, and is also the trainer of 520m top grade race eight candidates Paw Isla (box four), Paw Damon (five), Paw Monet (seven) and Paw Carver (reserve).
"None of them has previously seen Wentworth Park and I intend using Thursday's races as their trials in preparation for the June 27 heats of the Vic Peters and Peter Mosman,'' Delbridge said.
"I think Paw Damon has the most potential but his problem is that he is slow early.
"But he will be as strong as an ox at the end 520m and I'm already excited about his future prospects as a middle distance greyhound.
"Paw Monet, who has won 10 of her 31 starts, has very good early speed and Paw Carver is a lot better than his recent form suggests.
"The two dogs, Paw Damon and Paw Carver, are the quickest, but the three bitches go pretty well too and Paw Zhana has just won in 29.98 over 525m at The Meadows.''
Ulneash In Miami has won a remarkable 27 of his 54 races and will make his first WP appearance for new trainer Ike McCorkindale in Thursday's WP Sports Bar Mastes Stakes, 520m.
Unleash In Miami has been a brilliant winner at Temora at his past two starts and although he has box four on Thursday, his record wearing the blue rug is an impressive three wins from five appearances.
.jpg?height=304&resize=fill&width=540)
