Hooksy's trainer Jimmy Auld is pleased his dog has drawn outside arch rival Bottom Dollar in Friday night’s fourth heat of the Macro Meats New Sensation at Wentworth Park.
The clash of these outstanding Victorian juveniles in the Group 3 event promises to be the highlight of the meeting.
Bottom Dollar, trained by Glenn Rounds, has box two while Hooksy has drawn three.
Hooksy, who has won nine of his 14 starts, trialled solo at Wentworth Park last Friday in an outstanding 29.68, posting slick splits of 5.53, 13.86 and 17.96.
Bottom Dollar has won four of his five Victorian races and went within 0.19 of the track record, shared by former champion El Grand Senor, in a maiden semi-final win over 460m at Warragul on January 19.
While Bottom Dollar has not officially trialled at Wentworth Park he has been cared for by NSW trainer Marty Hallinan in the lead-up to this race and has almost certainly had a look at the track.
But Hooksy’s trainer believes the draw might suit his dog.
"Bottom Dollar is very quick and is a keen railer, he goes good," Jimmy Auld said.
"I’m happy with box three for Hooksy because I would rather be drawn outside Bottom Dollar than inside him.
"If the boxes had been reversed Bottom Dollar could have crowded my bloke in the early stages.
"Hooksy pulled up beautifully after last week’s trial and travelled perfectly on the car trip back to Melbourne.
"Even though I have trained dogs for 50 years Hooksy is only my second Wentworth Park starter.
"I brought a dog called Cee Four to Wenty five or six years ago for a classic race in Sydney."
Meanwhile, My Boy Snoop, a relatively new addition to trainer Anthony Azzopardi’s kennels, looms as the stumbling block for his former kennelmate Sir Redmond and Darren Sultana’s boom puppy Silent Effective in heat five of the New Sensation.
Silent Effective is an odds-on favourite from box one but needs to begin better than he did when he staged a last-to-first performance to win in 30.28 at his only Wentworth Park start on March 24.
If he misses the start Silent Effective could get cut out by speedy duo Stunning Ashberg and Sir Redmond, who have drawn boxes two and three.
Sir Redmond was ultra impressive in leading throughout in a 515m maiden at Unibet Gardens on March 14.
Despite running in and colliding at box rise, Sir Redmond led throughout in a sensational 29.37, just 0.14 outside the track record.
Sir Redmond is owned and trained by Brett and Deborah May, who formerly raced My Boy Snoop.
My Boy Snoop is now owned by Victorian cattle farmer Terry Kingcott and trained by Anthony Azzopardi, who would have been delighted with his new acquisition’s trial win at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
My Boy Snoop showed improved early dash to clock 29.70 and recorded second and third splits of 13.83 and 17.90.
He is well suited boxed wide in six on Friday night and seems one of the value bets of the meeting.
Cawbourne Whip resumes from a spell in heat three of the New Sensation and is boxed to enhance her impressive Wentworth Park record of two wins and a second from three starts.
The JODIE Lord-trained bitch likes to use a bit of the track so will relish having a vacant box outside her box four draw.
Cawbourne Whip has not raced since finishing sixth in Rue De Kahn’s National Futurity final at Unibet Gardens on February 7 but runs her best races at Wentworth Park where she has broken the 30 second barrier.
JODIE Lord should land a double on Friday night as her stayer Cawbourne Looney is ideally positioned in box eight in the 720m AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes.
Cawbourne Looney has worn the pink rug to three victories and as a winner of eight Wentworth Park 720m races will appreciate the drop in class from last week’s Betfair Cup final, when she finished fourth to Dyna Willow in track record time.
Best Bet: Hooksy (Race 6)
Best Value: Cawbourne Whip (Race 5)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 4, 3, 6, 7
Race 6 – 3, 2
Race 7 – 6, 3,
Race 8 – 7, 2
$20 for 41.67%
