The hottest sporting ticket in town could be at Wentworth Park on Saturday night with two of Australia's best current stayers, Xylia Allen and Sweet It Is (pictured), both in action.
The Victorian Pair are racing in separate heats of the Group 3 Chairman's Cup (720m), with the mouth-watering prospect of a head-to-head clash between the Pair in next week's final a realistic prospect.
NSW racing fans are getting a first glimps of legendary Xylia Allen for the first time since April, while Sweet It Is is racing for the first time since capturing last month's National Distance crown in WA.
Interstate and overseas raiders have won six of the past seven Group 3 Chairman’s Cups and it seems only a miracle can stop the trophy and $25,000 final winner’s cheque heading out of NSW again this year.
Interstate and overseas raiders have won six of the past seven group three Chairman’s Cups and it seems only a miracle can stop the trophy and $25,000 final winner’s cheque heading out of NSW again this year.
In Saturday night’s heats Victorian trio Xylia Allen, Dyna Willow and Zipping Rory dominate heat one while Sweet It Is (pictured), Zipping Maggie and Liara Allen appear to have a stranglehold on heat two.
The only NSW winner of the Chairman’s Cup since 2007 was Your Signature who won in 42.43sec in 2010.
Victoria’s Flashing Floods won in 2007, Tasmania’s Chinatown Lad a year later, with Victorians Amity Bale, Shimaguni and Proven Impala scoring in 2009, 2011 and 2013 respectively.
And New Zealand’s Know Peace was successful in 2012.
Last year Proven Impala set the race record at 42.01 but given a fast track it’s hard to imagine greyhounds of the calibre of Xylia Allen and Sweet It Is being unable to break the 42 second barrier and establishing a new time standard for the race in 2014.
Best NSW hope is Dusty Moonshine, who got hurt when fourth in Queen Marina’s National Distance Championship qualifier.
Dusty Moonshine, who has box two in heat one of the Cup on Saturday night, had broken 42 seconds in each of her three previous Wentworth Park 720m starts so is capable of causing an upset.
Trainer Denice Warren said that the bitch was fit again but needed to begin well.
“I have given her a post-to-post slip at Richmond and another at Goulburn since her last Wentworth Park run and she went well in both trials,’’ Warren said.
Bearded Midget has won two of his three races from box seven but while trainer Ron Hoogenboom would have preferred an inside draw he is pleased to see his consistent sprinter in race one at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
“Bearded Midget is inclined to crash to the rails at box rise but he has been stressing out a bit sitting around in the kennels so being in an early race is a plus,’’ Hoogenboom said.
At Dapto last week Bearded Midget led narrowly at the first turn but was shouldered out of the way by the speedy Derenger as the Pair went through the pen.
After that bump Bearded Midget did well to hang on and run second to Derenger and on Saturday night will be chasing his ninth win in just 20 starts.
When Bearded Midget finished third at Wentworth Park on April 19 he broke the 30 second barrier and only needs his customary clean getaway to repeat that effort on Saturday.
Miss All Class was having her first start for five weeks when run down by Avondale Charm at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and trainer Ron Field believes she can lead throughout in this Saturday’s Bohemia Crystal Series Final.
“After she finished seventh at Dapto on July 3 her wrist blew up and it was full of blood,’’ Field said.
“Before last week’s race she had a hand-slip at Wentworth Park and a few runs up the straight but you can’t beat race fitness.
“Miss All Class usually leads in her races and has had a win and two seconds from five Wenty starts but whenever she has made the pace a good dog has invariably sat right behind her.
“She hasn’t had the luck to have scrimmaging behind her allowing her to pinch a big break.’’
Best Bet: Xylia Allen (Race 6)
Best Value: Miss All Class (Race 8)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 7, 1, 4
Race 6 – 6, 4
Race 7 – 4, 3, 2
Race 8 – 4, 8
$20 for 55.55%
