Retired Air Force veteran Erin Cole was rewarded for her high priced purchase of brood bitch Fusion Girl when that greyhound's daughter Hera Rolex posted second fastest time winning her heat of the group one Peter Mosman Opal at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Trained by Jason Mackay, Hera Rolex began brilliantly from box one and led throughout in 29.52, .07sec quicker than her previous best Wentworth Park time.
Owner Erin Cole said: "I paid $30,000 for Fusion Girl because I liked her breeding, she is a daughter of Isadoll, the 2010 group one Vic Peters Classic winner.
"When I mated Fusion Girl to Barcia Bale she produced the 2022 Maitland Future Stars winner Red Rolex, and now from her litter to Shima Shine she has given me Hera Rolex.
"Several people deserve credit for Hera Rolex, especially trainer Jason Mackay and his daughter Rose, but also fellow trainer Charlie Lamb, who reared her for me, and the late Jimmy Watson who educated her.''
Ritza Tiana was quickest of the six Peter Mosman Opal heat winners, with the Mark Gatt-trained bitch taking the lead at the first turn and winning by five lengths in 29.42.
Trainer Neil Staines has paid his 29.66 Peter Mosman Opal heat winner Bandit Lynne the ultimate compliment by rating her "better overall" than his former crack bitch Bogan Doonie.
Bandit Lynne took her Wentworth Park tally to five wins from six appearances when she led throughout from box one for her owners, the Jodie Lord-managed Clover Park Racing Group.
After the race trainer Staines said: "Bogan Doonie was a rocket and among her 18 wins was one at Wenty when she ran 29.44.
"That was back in November, 2018, and in those days they rarely got anywhere near those figures.
"But where Bogan Doonie used to paw at the lids and was a risky beginner, Bandit Lynne has better habits, she is has terrific box manners.''
Victorian trainer Mark Delbridge is rarely without a big race finalist at Wentworth Park and his bitch Paw Isla won her way into next Saturday's Peter Mosman Opal decider with an all-the-way heat win in 29.65.
Husband and wife training team Todd and Courtney Barnes also landed Peter Mosman Opal heats with Pay Keeping (29.74) and Zipping Violet (29.78) respectively.
Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts bred Pay Keeping from her bitch Tania Keeping, whose litter to Aston Rupee also includes prolific Wentworth Park winners Pound Keeping and Money Keeping.
"Tania Keeping could run like the wind but had a mind of her own, she was a very 'iffy' chaser but had a lot of ability and that has come out in her pups,'' Roberts said.
Victorian trainer Josh Formosa, who won the 2024 Million Dollar Chase and group one Paws Of Thunder Wentworth Park double with his $10,000 purchase Blue Kermaro, is flying high again in Sydney after taking out heats of the group one Vic Peters Classic on Saturday night with litter brothers Retaliation and Repellent.
Retaliation's blistering 29.29 win over Fabricator in heat three was fastest time of the night on Saturday, while Repellent won his heat in 29.78.
Charmaine Roberts has Pay Keeping in Saturday's Peter Mosman Opal final as an owner and will be represented as an owner-trainer thanks to Grant Keeping's come from behind win in his heat of the Vic Peters.
Grant Keeping, also bred by Roberts, won in 29.64, while Baby Face Bandit, trained by Jodie Lord, part-owner of Mosman Opal heat winner Bandit Lynne, gave the Clover Park Racing Group another big race finalist with a surprise all-the-way Vic Peters Classic heat win in 29.69.
Leading trainer Minnie Finn watched earlier as her son Todd Barnes and daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes trained heat winners in the Peter Mosman Opal series, and had her moment of glory when her $11 outsider Hey Arnold ran down President Rolex to take out his heat of the Vic Peters Classic in 29.68.
Saturday's top grade 520m was won by the Jodie Lord-trained National Futurity winner Magic Bandit, who rocketed out of box five for a personal best first split of 5.36 en route to a length in 29.39, .05sec inside the quickest of her previous 10 Wentworth Park successes.
