Jungle Johnny twice broke the Wentworth Park 520m record after securing clear runs in March and July but had to "climb up off the canvas" to snatch a half head victory in Saturday night's second heat of the NSW National Sprint Championship.
After being shuffled back to midfield, with Bandit Lynne a tearaway leader, Jungle Johnny displayed true champion's qualities to edge out the always fast finishing Reborn Hostility in 29.57.
Bandit Lynne who posted dazzling first and second splits, was a mere half-length away third, giving Yass Junction trainer Neil Staines two qualifiers in next Thursday’s NSW National Sprint final.
Staines had won Saturday night's first heat with Galba Model, who led all the way to beat Rise Up Nismo by two lengths in 29.65.
Jungle Johnny has again proved he can do it from in front or from behind, as he was last to leave the boxes when he won at Wentworth Park in 29.14 on August 1.
Jungle Johnny's trainer Mark Gatt and his brother Daniel, who prepares Reborn Hostility, now have the strongest chances in next week's NSW Championship final.
Whiskey Grace is now set to tackle Thursday night's NSW National Distance Championship at Wentworth Park after staging a remarkable last-to-first performance to win Saturday night's 720m event.
Trained at Young by Ike McCorkindale, Whiskey Grace came away in the straight to win by four lengths from Vodka And Ice with pacemaker Sin City Bandit a nose away third in 41.86.
After the race McCorkindale exclaimed: "Wow, that was a big improvement, so I guess I will have to put her in the National Distance Championship now.''
McCorkindale trains Whiskey Grace for a syndicate comprising jockeys Tyler Schiller, who rode a winner at Randwick on Saturday, Zac Lloyd and Dylan Gibbons.
Baby Face Bandit, the youngest in the field at 22 months, ran her rivals off their legs to record a personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.51 in taking out Saturday's 520m fourth and fifth grade.
Two races earlier her kennelmate Fearless Bandit came from fourth on the back straight to defeat a strong lineup in a third and fourth grade 520m event.
Fearless Bandit clocked 29.68 and after the race Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Baby Face Bandit and Fearless Bandit, said: "His problem lately is that he never jumps well.
"Early in his career Fearless Bandit was coming out fast and he ran 29.40 in April, and if he ever reproduces those early box manners he will run some time.
"Fearless Bandit is a son of our great bitch She's A Pearl, and they used to say champion bitches don't produce top quality greyhounds, so she has knocked that theory over.''
Trainer Minnie Finn's decision to revert from distance racing to sprinting with Winsome Storm paid off again when that dog ran down Zipping Aladdin to win a 520m race on Saturday in 29.78.
Winsome Storm had flashed home to win over 520m in 29.90 last week but went even better on Saturday, coming from last early and sixth on the back straight.
Finn's son Todd Barnes won with Bank Keeping in 29.79 on Saturday while daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes produced the card's fastest winner when Shaq Keeping upset hot favourite Canya Handle It in 29.47.
