ROBERT Bray would have been whistling a happy tune on his way back to Uralla on Saturday afternoon after the Greyhound owner-trainer took two firsts and a second at the Tamworth Greyhound track.
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The wins included the first race of the day as well as the first Tamworth to Maitland Sprint Heats, with Firing On doing just that and blitzing the field by almost four lengths.
It was the black three-year-olds sixth victory and fourth place in five starts as the dog matures into a good frontrunner after leading the 402m heat from gate to post.
“It was a good run, he led all the way,” Bray said.
“He is generally a good box dog.”
Jumping from box two he beat Dale Tolmie’s Hella Bayley to the rail on the inside and kept it.
“He loves the Tamworth track and the grass.”
He does too with four of his six wins coming on the Tamworth track, with his last win coming three weeks ago over the same distance, with a third and a fourth in Moree and Armidale separating them.
“I hope he gets a good box in Maitland and has a go,” Bray said. “It is tough never having run on the track before but we will go there green and hope he gets out.”
“All the other dogs are the same and it is good to race against dogs of similar ability.”
The Tamworth to Maitland gives the top two and then the next best two times from three heats the chance to race on a TAB track.
The $1200 final will be run during the Maitland Club meet next Saturday.
In the first race Ben I Am left the field for dead after he turned on the gas to leave Wendy Buckley’s Adrian True and Ben Spence’s Twisted Valley seven lengths behind.
“He is a dog that has always had ability,” Bray said.
“He went under the rail and did really well.”
The www.facebook.com/
notatmytrack maiden was the three-year-olds seventeenth start.
Bray also picked up a second in the Hillview Superette Stakes behind Melanie Mabbott’s High Sensability.
“You never expect to win with greyhounds you just hope you do,” Bray said.
With three places from three starters and two wins Bray might hope more often from now on.