"THEY keep telling me there are no swimming races for greyhounds but Wanda Maximoff thrives on chasing a ball in the George's River,'' said trainer Steve Lambley after that bitch took her record to two wins and a second from three starts on Saturday night at Bulli.
Just 23 months of age, Wanda Maximoff led throughout over 400m in a slick 22.46 and will be out to enhance her record tomorrow at Goulburn, where she has drawn box one in race 10, over 350m.
"Wanda Maximoff had a win and a second from her first two races, both at Goulburn, and I have always liked starting my dogs off at the track as I believe it helps teach them how to race,'' Lambley said.
"But I regularly take my four greyhounds down to the George's River, throw a ball into the water, and watch them race to be the first to retrieve it.
"They seem to love this change in their training routine and I reckon it makes them happy dogs,'' Lambley said.
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POSTPONEMENT of the group 1 Golden Easter Egg from April to June won't affect Shakey Diesel's attempt to become the third Queenslander to win the time-honoured Wentworth Park race.
Faithful Hawk was the first Queenslander to win the Egg, taking out the 1999 final in then race record time of 29.93, while Bogie Leigh scored in 30.07 in 2004.
Shakey Diesel created a big impression at his Wentworth Park debut last Wednesday night, leading throughout and trouncing a smart field in the slick time of 29.96sec.
Trainer Peter O'Reilly, who is based at Yamanto, an Ipswich suburb, said this week: "I was really happy with how Shakey Diesel went because he had never seen the track.
"Wednesday's race was his Wenty 'trial' for the Golden Easter Egg.
"Shakey Diesel was well positioned in box eight and while I wasn't confident, many other Queensland trainers assured me that dogs which race well at Ipswich invariably like Wenty Park.
"And Shakey Diesel loves Ipswich.''
Shakey Diesel turns three in May but Wednesday's win was his 20th in 62 starts.
O'Reilly, 55, has been training greyhounds for a decade, going full-time two years ago after owning a pet food business for 35 years.
He is no rookie to big races as he trained Yogi Blue, winner of the 2014 Lismore Workers Club Cup and fourth placegetter in the 2014 group 1 Dapto Megastar, won by the Steve White-trained Tommy Brislane.
Yogi Blue retired with 28 wins and 39 placings from 124 races, earning over $135,000 in prizemoney, and Shakey Diesel seems equally durable.
