When working as a farrier Phil Goodsell put shoes on Think Big when he won the 1974 and '75 Melbourne Cups and on 1980 Caulfield Cup winner Ming Dynasty and now he is training a fleet-footed greyhound called Stop And Stare.
Stop And Stare is a slow beginner but was a certainty beaten when edged out in a photo finish by Zipping Cascade at Wentworth Park on July 18 and after three placings at headquarters is set to break through in Thursday night's first heat of the 1-3 wins fifth grade series.
On July 18 Stop And Stare was tailed off at the first turn but was coming fast leaving the back straight before running into a "dead-end" and going down by a head.
Stop And Stare had box seven in that race but is ideally placed in box one on Thursday following his powerful finishing win, from box three, over 472m at Bulli on July 28.
Stop And Stare was midfield on the home bend but produced such a whirlwind finish he stopped the clock at a flying 26.35.
Phil Goodsell trained his first Wentworth Park winner, Burn It Up, in September 2007 but Stop And Stare is almost certainly his best greyhound since his 2014 Nowra Puppy Classic winner Stilton Blue, who won 15 races and $68,000.
Dennis Keeping completed a winning Wentworth Park hat-trick last month but could manage only fourth to champion Jungle Johnny there last Saturday.
Dennis Keeping's winning times had included 29.36 and 29.42 efforts, both from box six, but he was never a chance from box one last Saturday.
He has box five in Thursday's Golf Daze Stakes, a 520m fourth grade, and trainer Jason Magri believes his dog is better suited there than he was from the rails.
"In Jungle Johnny's race, Dennis Keeping missed the kick and then got crowded which he didn't like.
"I'm convinced Dennis Keeping likes to be drawn in the middle of the track, he likes to roll off away from the rails in the run to the first corner.
"Having a vacant box on his outside on Thursday is a bonus.''
Box seven brought Hello Peck unstuck when he finished fifth at Wentworth Park on July 30 and the Natina Howard-trained dog is ideally positioned in box one in Thursday's Sponsor a Race at Wenty 520m fifth grade.
At his most recent start, Hello Peck ran in and collided at box rise and was hampered continually in the run to the first bend where he was badly checked.
Under the circumstances his effort to finish fifth, seven lengths behind the winner, Stomp Suffle, was first class.
When Hello Peck jumped from box one at The Gardens on July 4 he trounced his rivals by 13 lengths and sped over the 515m in a super slick 29.38, fastest time of the meeting.
A shift to box one should also put Notts County back into the winning list on Thursday night.
Notts County had box three when he won by six lengths in a fast 29.41 at Wentworth Park on July 18 but was never a chance when sent out as a $2 favourite from box eight on July 30.
In that race Notts County bungled the start completely, a mishap which sometimes happens to greyhounds coming out of box eight at Wentworth Park.
Notts County has won three of his four Wentworth Park races and trainer Ray Sultana was not surprise when his dog posted his personal best Wenty figures of 29.41 on July 18.
"He trialled 29.50 at Wentworth Park before he ever raced there,'' Sultana pointed out.
Favourite backers will be hoping Grant Keeping can bring his group one Vic Peters Classic winning form back to Wentworth Park on Thursday night.
Grant Keeping broke the race record when he led throughout to win the Vic Peters final from box five at Wentworth Park on July 4 but was surprisingly beaten when a $1.10 favourite over 516m at Dubbo last Saturday.
Grant Keeping has box seven in Thursday's Wenty Leagues 520m fifth grade and after reeling off a fast opening split of 5.37 in his Vic Peters victory he has the speed to lead throughout again this week.
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