End Of An Era: Albion Park's Grand Goodbye

PAUL Stadnikoff says "it's cool" to have one of the favourites for the 331m Top Grade on Sunday, the final race to be run at Albion Park, the scene of so many thrilling greyhound races since 1992.

Paul's Perky Penny (Aussie Infrared-Quara's Flick) is a 331m demon, having won 11 of 19 starts over the distance at the track with an overall career of 24 starts for 13 wins and seven placings.

"I suppose Hope's Zone deserves to win, and certainly Travis Elson her trainer, because they have dominated short course racing at Albion Park for so long," Stadnikoff said.

"But, our girl is a great chance, despite flopping out as favourite off the one box at her latest run."

Perky Penny has drawn the seven against Hope's Zone, the winner of 27 of her 44 starts over 331m for Travis and his wife Hope.

Perky Penny is a success story if ever there was one.

"She is Queensland bred, but ended up in Victoria where she was offered as a giveaway," Stadnikoff added.

"I loved the pedigree and her mother was a very good race bitch, so I took a chance and grabbed her. She had not even been named."

Stadnikoff gasped the very first time he took the bitch for a slip at Capalaba.

"She went 30 metres and came back to me," he said.

"But perseverance won out. I kept going with her and she turned around, kept persisting, and finally the penny dropped.

"Which has a bit to do with the name we gave her."

Perky Penny is the star of the eight-dog kennel Paul and wife Natasha run out at Jimboomba where they have a three-acre property.

Paul is an accounts manager for a building supply company and the Gold Coast-based job restricts him to racing at weekends.

"I was in for five years quite a while ago, but then had a good break," he said.

"We've been back in for the past two years.

"It's been really good and I was quite surprised to find out I am number 13 on the trainer's list at Albion Park."

Perky Penny is already the winner of the Lightning over 331m at Albion Park, but to put her name in the record books as the final winner at the track top off a career Paul Stadnikoff is hoping has plenty left to come, would be a highlight.