Expect Delay’s superior early speed could enable him to upset hot favourite Zipping Spike in Friday night’s Sportingbet Maiden Series Final (520m) at Wentworth Park.
He led throughout in his heat on Monday night in 30.19 posting a second split of 14.01.
Fastest qualifier Zipping Spike came from midfield to pounce on the lead approaching the home bend before careering away to win in 29.95.
Zipping Spike was unsuited by box one in his heat and while this wide runner will relish having box eight in the final he cannot afford to give Expect Delay too much start.
Zipping Spike is already being talked about as a middle distance performer of the future with connections commenting that the dog was so unfazed by his hard heat run that he refused a drink of water after his barnstorming 520m win.
Expect Delay uses a bit of the track so he is nicely positioned in box six, while the other heat winners Saucy Wink (30.05), Passenger (30.06) and Magic Earner (30.28) are not well drawn.
Saucy Wink has the best sectional figures but from box four she will need to begin as quickly as she did in her heat to get around Magic Earner, who has drawn three.
“Our bitch had trialled 30.02 at Wenty so she can improve," Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Magic Earner, said after Monday's heats.
“She did it tough outside the early leader in her heat.’’
Expect Delay is trained by Peter Lagogiane for Vince Murray, who owned the dog’s dam Coral Corleone.
“His mother was a brilliant beginner but strung together nine second placings because she used to jump in front and then wait for her opponents,’’ Murray said after Expect Delay’s heat win.
“But she was a quick bitch by Primo Uno and is from the same dam line as Black Enforcer so I didn’t hesitate in breeding from her.’’
Passenger had box one in his heat but his chances in the final plummeted when he drew box seven on Friday night.
“He is desperate for an inside alley and I don’t want an outside box in the final,’’ trainer Larry Procopio said before the draw for Friday’s race.
Central Coast trainer Keith Jarvis was quietly confident about Remember Ross’s prospects at Wentworth Park last week but the dog lost all chance when a wide runner hampered him in the run to the first turn.
There should be no such problem for Remember Ross on Friday night as the dog, who has been placed in two of four outings at the Glebe track, has box one in the petsnacks.com.au Stakes.
Remember Ross has won in a brilliant 29.60 at The Gardens and was checked when trying to cross to the rails from box six before clocking a respectable 30.31 when third at Wentworth Park on June 6.
Another greyhound boxed to break through for his first win at Wentworth Park is Mark Wilcox’s talented one turn track sprinter Highly Respected, who has drawn one in the RTA Batteries Stakes.
Highly Respected has been unplaced in each of three starts at the track but on Friday faces what appears to be his easiest task.
If Friday’s race was run at Bulli or Goulburn Highly Respected would be a long odds-on favourite.
While the dog’s best form is on bigger tracks he has won in a sizzling 22.53 over 400m at Richmond so can handle tighter tracks.
At the provincials Highly Respected boasts a remarkable winning strike rate of 14 wins from 30 starts and his job on Friday has been made easier by the scratching of noted strong finisher Rockford Reason.
Best Bet: Remember Ross (Race 9)
Best Value: Van Carrho Flash (Race 8)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 6, 8 4
Race 6 – 4, 2
Race 7 – 8, 2, 3
Race 8 – 3, 6
$20 for 55.55%
