Tommy Brislane did his chances of gaining an invitation to next month's Topgun no harm after he took out the Group 2 Bob Payne Spring Sprint at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Sent out the $2.70 favourite, Tommy Brislane (pictured, white rug) showed his trademark early speed to lead throughout and win the $40,000 feature event in 29.70 - the equal best time of the night.
The National Futurity winner Rue De Kahn was 4 1/2 lengths behind in a gallant effort to finish second, while Ritza Hattie was a further 3/4 of a length away in third.
Trainer Steve White has been steering Tommy Brislane towards the Group 1 Topgun at The Meadows on October 25 for six weeks and one would have to think he has all but guaranteed a spot to the race given he also took out the Group 1 Dapto Megastar earlier this month.
Check out a replay of Tommy Brislane's victory here.
Sharing Saturday night’s Wentworth Park time honours with Tommy Brislane was Cyclone Simone, who broke 30 seconds for the first time in four 520m outings when she led throughout in heat three of the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
Cyclone Simone’s first split of 5.34 was actually 0.02 quicker than Tommy Brislane’s but was a far cry from a trial she produced at Richmond six days before the Wentworth Park event.
"If you watched her trial over 535m at Richmond last Sunday you wouldn’t have wanted to back her tonight because she clocked 31.25, which is awful," trainer Majella Ferguson said after Saturday’s race.
"For some reason Cyclone Simone, who used to love Richmond, has taken a dislike to the place.
"At the same time she is a race bitch and tends not to trial brilliantly on her own."
Cyclone Simone’s win completed a big week for Majella and husband Craig as she was their third winner in four days.
"We won a race at Bulli on Wednesday and another at Maitland on Thursday so we’ve had a terrific week," Majella said.
In other news out of Saturday night's racing at Wentworth Park, Lacey Lois will campaign in Melbourne until the end of the year in an attempt to earn Sydney owners Peter Acers and Adele Powell a $100,000 prizemoney bonus.
Lacey Lois, who won heat two of the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes, is a daughter of Superman, whose connections have offered the bonus to the owner of the first offspring of their dog to win a Group 1 race.
"We are going to send Lacey Lois down to Melbourne trainer Kel Greenough because the bonus expires at Christmas and we figure we have a better chance of winning a Group 1 event in 2014 in Melbourne than in Sydney," Acers said on Saturday.
Nimbastic arrived unheralded from Queensland but won 12 Wentworth Park races for Sydney trainer Owen Langley and her son Debbie’s Prince seems set for similar fame under the same trainer.
Debbie’s Prince, a brilliant beginner, came out running from box four to lead throughout in his heat of Saturday night’s Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stake to take his record to three wins from four starts.
And while the dog only clocked 30.11, Owen Langley is confident he will improve on those figures.
"I had to give him a look at Wentworth Park so on Tuesday I trialled him and he ran a quick first section of 5.38sec," Langley said.
"Backing up from Tuesday to Saturday must have taken an edge off him because his first split tonight was only 5.44.
"That’s why I’ve got no doubt he can go a lot faster than 30.11 overall."
Meanwhile, Fformer Melbourne bookmaker Mick Fearnley was over the moon at the performance of his stayer Ruff Cut Diamond in his hit-and-run visit to Wentworth Park on Friday night.
Fearnley left Melbourne early Friday morning, arrived in time to kennel Ruff Cut Diamond, and after she gave her rivals a nine lengths thrashing in a sizzling 41.87, put her into the car and drove back to Victoria.
"She got lost rounding the first turn because she had obviously never seen the track so I think Ruff Cut Diamond can improve four lengths in Saturday night’s Sydney Cup heats," Fearnley said.
"When she won at Sandown in 41.52 on September 18 the experts told me it was the second fastest 715m time ever posted there."
And on Friday Peter Mosman Classic winner Bessy Boo lifted his earnings to $137,790 with another barnstorming 520m win at Wentworth Park.
After the race trainer Christine Proctor said: "Having only six rivals instead of the usual seven can always make a difference to a dog like Bessy Boo who gets back in the field.
"He has thrived since his fifth to Chica Destacada in the National Sprint Championship in Perth and had he drawn an inside box instead of the seven I’m sure he would have run a place in that race."
Early in his career Bessy Boo proved his stamina by winning over 720m at Wentworth Park and Proctor has not ruled out a return to long distance racing "further down the track".
See you next week!
