At nearly 30 kilograms, a lack of a size was never an issue for Thursday's Sandown Sapphire Crown winner Amakler Girl.

Interestingly, in her early days of greyhound's school of hard knocks, owner-trainer Kerry Stack was given little hope that the daughter to Superman would one day be lauded as a group 1 winner. One of the first of Superman's pups to race, Amakler Girl is in the twilight of her career, a near house pet and master of her own destiny.

"We got back home late last year after she failed at Bendigo from an outside alley and despite her fantastic record, we never dreamed of winning a Sapphire Crown," the Lara trainer said. "Her breaking-in time was really poor as she was very badly injured and could hardly walk for many days. We got that right and her natural brilliance soon shone through. Rob Britton had her initially and then Graeme Bate raced her for some time but I really think our small team suits her."

Amakler Girl will turn four on July 12 and her win in the Sandown feature was an upset given the depth of opposition.

"She had box one and I'd really have rather been drawn in the eight … but I'm not complaining now," Stack said. "She's a real pet and just about trains herself. Strangely, she shows us very little affection, but loves any attention we give. Some days she wants to work, others are like a rostered day off. We just let her run her own race exercise-wise. And that may be why she is not suited to a big kennel."

After the hot field began as one, it was the rails alley and Amakler Girl's speed that set her apart with a decisive 1 ½-length break over the chasing division.

"Aston Elle was close enough to be a threat but when we got to the 595-metre boxes, she had got away a little and I really felt she might hang on,'' Stack said.

"At the end Tonneli Bale really powered home and got close but we still had a little bit to spare."

For 18 years before buying Amakler Girl as a pup, the Stack family had focused on business interests and to this day, greyhound racing has been a passionate pastime. Their growing of long-stem roses will always come first but the pleasure Kerry, Gloria and son Brent found at Sandown on Thursday was priceless. Amakler Girl's win was against the tide of big-kennel success in this year's feature races and proved again that the best dog on the night can win the best races.