Double Twist, cruelly robbed through injury of contesting several Group 1 races, returns after a four month hiatus at Wentworth Park on Friday night and is going better than ever.
A winner of 21 from 38 races, the joint 2013 NSW Greyhound of the Year has box eight in the AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes.
All the talk at WP on Monday night was about an amazing post-to-post hand-slip recorded by Double Twist at Dapto 72 hours earlier and trainer Garry Edwards has confirmed the reports were correct.
“Until Double Twist came along the fastest Dapto slip had been posted by my other bitch More Space, who ran 23.91,’’ Garry said.
“Then Double Twist clocked 23.89 before winning a group one race at Dapto but last Friday morning she ran 23.86.
“Trainer Mark Gatt watched the trial and he was gob-smacked, pointing out that his great bitch Ritza Hattie runs 24.20 over the same trip.
“Box eight on Friday night isn’t a worry so long as the greyhounds drawn inside Double Twist run in a straight line and don’t spear off at the first turn.
“That’s something we’ve no control over but she is holding up well at present and is injury free.’’
Double Twist was favourite for the group one Paws Of Thunder final at WP on January 18 but was sidelined with injury after winning her heat on January 11.
She then missed group ones like the Golden Easter Egg, Perth Cup, Australian Cup and the Sapphire Crown at Sandown.
“She has been unlucky because the same thing happened a year earlier, she got hurt and missed all the important races,’’ Garry said.
Blow The Doh makes her 720m debut in Friday’s Schweppes Stayers Stakes but trainer Emanuel Borg is confident she will run the distance.
Blow The Doh roared home after overcoming interference to win over 600m at The Gardens on May 9 and then led throughout to post best of the night figures over 618m at Richmond last Saturday night.
“She is very fit and is bred to stay,’’ Emanuel said.
“Her dam Maggie Jacobs could run 700 but didn’t get the opportunity to show it in races.
“One thing about Blow The Doh is she always gives us a 100 per cent effort.
“Whenever she has run a seemingly ordinary race there has been a reason, such as injury.
“I bred Blow The Doh but sold her to my cousin Joe Borg, who formed a syndicate comprising some of his soccer playing team mates.’’
My value bet on Friday at Wentworth Park is bush greyhound Swift Indian, who has box five in the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
Trained by Maureen West at Beechwood, near Wauchope, Swift Indian has won 13 races on country tracks and caught the eye with his third to Blue’s Revival in a slick 29.94sec at WP on May 9.
Swift Indian had box three but after veering right at box rise he collided and did well to be fourth on the back straight.
The dog got up to snare the minor prize money just three lengths behind the winner, and is positioned to get a clear run on Friday night.
Another Sprite and Teddie Boy, who have boxes three and four, are fast beginners who head left at the start so from box five Swift Indian seems poised to secure a dream run down the centre of the track.
Best Bet: Double Twist (Race 3)
Best Value: Swift Indian (Race 2)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 1, 2, 6, 8
Race 6 – 6, 1
Race 7 – 7, 3, 8
Race 8 – 8, 6
$20 for 41.66%
