Another Grey Makes Maiden Mark

BARCIA Bale sired three of the five heat winners as the Group 3 Beteasy Maiden Series (520m) got underway in earnest at Dapto on Thursday night.

With some of the best bred greyhound flesh debuting in the three-week $25,000 to-the-winner series, it was the Warren and Jill Harper-trained Another Grey that set the time-standard for next week's semi-finals, stopping the clock in a sizzling 29.96 to score by five lengths.

Posting cracking sectionals on the way to her dominant heat victory, Another Grey continues the outstanding run of success being enjoyed by the June '16 Barcia Bale x Little Grey litter, with the six pups to face the starter showing enormous potential, now responsible for 20 race wins from just 60 starts.

On a night of terrific racing on the south coast, the opening heat went the way of the Mark Gatt-trained He's All Shine, the son of Barcia Bale and She's Scandalous defeating a wayward Zipping Cobra by 5 ¾ lengths in a pedestrian 30.57.

Backed from 4/1 into a 4/7 favourite, Zipping Cobra, making her NSW debut for trainer Jason Magri after two lackluster Victorian starts previously, was supported as if unbeatable in the opener, only to catch the eye of stewards after racing ungenerously through the catching pen.

Heat two was won by exciting newcomer Bad Ronnie for trainer Craig Sheridan, scoring by three lengths over Mr. Cashway in a sharp 30.04.

A littermate to the unbeaten Book Of Luck (My Bro Fabio x Book Of Days), Bad Ronnie, tipping the scales at a whopping 38 kilos, was most impressive in Thursday night's all-the-way heat success and looms as a major player heading into week two of the series.

The third heat was a last stride victory to the Jackie Davis prepared Bugatti Speed, gunning down leader Ombre Rose right on the line in a tidy 30.25.

A son of Barcia Bale and Bugatti Flyer, from a repeat mating with the first litter producing Group 1 Adelaide Cup hero Raw Ability, Bugatti Speed didn't have things his own way in Thursday's heat success and looks one of the major improvers heading into the semi-final round next week.

Jason Fletcher – no stranger to success in Dapto's flagship maiden series – was to the fore in heat four when Fantastic Hope drove late to record a tenacious 30.25 debut win.

Trailing leaders Lots Of Diamonds and Magic Begins for most of the 520m affair, the daughter of Fabregas and Light Fantastic drove late to land a neck win and charge into next week's heats with obvious improvement.

In an interesting set of circumstances, dam Light Fantastic produced the super-talented Fantastic Dotty for Fletcher, winner of the 2015 series when going through undefeated, including track record runs in the opening two rounds, with her amazing 29.34 semi-final gallop still the time-standard at the south coast venue.