Bright Future Awaits Promising Pumpkin King

LIL Edwards is in her late 70s but from her Victorian country home she still takes an interest in all things greyhound racing.

On Thursday night, Lil will be tuned in to Albion Park's 520m Novice when Pumpkin King (Sennachie-Beijing Fling) runs as one of the favourites off the red box.

Lil has a share in the dog with her son John, or as he is best known to everyone “Sid”.

Lil's late husband John was forever called “pumpkin” by Lil and that's how Sid came up with the name for the dog he shares with him mum.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY

And, Pumpkin King comes into Thursday night's Novice off two scorching wins at Capalaba in a maiden heat and final, the latter in a brilliant 19.68.

Queensland training legend, Tony Zammit, prepares the dog and he has had a long association with the Edwards family preparing the great Markaboy for them back in the late 1980s.

“Sid used to come to the kennels almost weekly with his dad John when we were training for them,” said Tony.

“And he married Brenda who at the time lived behind our property at Gilberton and used to help out at the kennels daily.

“Sid has always had a dog in our kennel.”

Sid bought Pumpkin King as a pup.

“He had no luck in his maiden when fourth at Albion Park,” said Tony.

“He got run off at the first turn.

He can be a little slow early from the boxes and that's why we took him to Capalaba. He copped a few checks in his maiden heat win but still ran 20.05 and then he was very impressive winning in 19.68.

“And, he began really well.”

Zammit, who these days has only eight dogs in his kennel, says Pumpkin King needs to begin as well at Albion Park on Thursday night as he did in that maiden final win.

“On the circle he has tended to shift off the track a bit so the rails might not be as good a draw as it appears,” he said.

Kennel star De Ferrin in on the comeback trail after a virus affected his kidneys after a seven-straight win streak.

“It knocked him around a bit and we had him on a drip for three days,” said Tony.

“But, he's had a couple of trials back since then and gone extra well.”