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THE rain may have stayed away at Dawson Park yesterday but the drought was broken for two runners during the heats of the Betfair Blue Paws Stakes (400m).
Neither the Daniel Hoskins-trained Wallah Princess or Keith Selten's Defy Gravity had tasted success since February but both charged to comfortable victories yesterday afternoon.
Jumping from box four, Wallah Princess ($15.80) led from start to finish in the second of four heats and Hoskins admitted afterwards it was a great feeling to be back in the winner's circle.
"It's been a long while since she's had a win, she's got the ability but she just doesn't put in all the time," he said.
"Once she led she was going to be very hard to beat, she's not too bad and it's good to have a win."
Hoskins said he was hopeful leading into the event and while the Graham Dixon-trained Galba Alison ($21.50) moved to the inside down the home straight she didn't have enough pace to catch Wallah Princess, who went on to win by three-and-three-quarter lengths.
Galba Alison hung on for second while No Wey Man ($11.10) was a further length-and-a-half behind in third.
Defy Gravity lined up for Blayney trainer Selten in box two in the next heat and in a near carbon-copy of Wallah Princess' win, got out well and didn't look back.
The Charmaine Roberts-trained Parallax ($4.80) made a charge for the line but it was too late as Defy Gravity ($12.60) went past the post one-and-three-quarter lengths ahead.
Tugg Speedman ($7.10) finished third.
"I thought he was a big chance today," Selten said of Defy Gravity.
"He's been racing really well but without luck and in greyhound racing you need a little bit of luck.
"It helped that one and four weren't there and he only had to begin well to hold them out and that's what he did and he went pretty well."
Defy Gravity, who won at Wentworth Park as a pup, was the slowest of the heat-winners with a time of 23.33s while Carlton Chief was the fastest, going past the post in a time of 22.91s in the day's final heat.