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Peter's Pick, who suffered a range of serious injuries earlier in his career, is poised to complete a remarkable comeback by registering his first Wentworth Park win for his new trainer John Callaughan on Saturday night.
Peter’s Pick has box two in the second Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder Prelude and Callaughan says he is “delighted’’ with the dog’s draw.
“Because of the old injuries he has had he is never going to be as good as he could have been,’’ Callaughan said.
“I’ve only had Peter’s Pick for a month with his Queensland owner Peter Henry asking me to take him on After he was sent back to him from Victoria.
“I’m really happy with how he has gone for me as he was placed in his first two Wentworth Park starts, including a second placing behind Chica Destacada, and then had no luck in the John Stollery Christmas Gift final there last week.
“He had just moved into third spot on the back straight when the dog following him got onto his heels and dragged him down.
“Peter’s Pick was fortunate not to have fallen but he pulled up all right and since then has had his usual pre-race preparation of plenty of swimming in a pool on my property at Luddenham.
“He certainly faces an easier task this week Because he is dropping from a group race to a fourth and fifth grade.’’
NSW’s top stayer Dusty Moonshine is set to end 2014 on a high by scoring her fifth win in 11 WP 720m starts in Saturday night’s The Beastwater Stakes.
The stayer ran arguably the race of her life to win last week’s 715m Newcastle Cup at The Gardens, when she posted a near record 41.96 on a slow track.
Dusty Moonshine made full use of her box eight draw at The Gardens to quickly head off early leader Avondale Maurick and is well positioned out wide again in box seven on Saturday.
“After the Newcastle Cup legendary local trainer Kenny Cheetham told me Dusty Moonshine would have obliterated the record on a good track,’’ trainer Denice Warren said.
“Dusty Moonshine holds the Dapto 729m and Gosford 731m records and it would have been nice to add a third to her tally but it wasn’t to be.
“Since her Newcastle Cup win all she has had is free galloping which is how I always train her Because she is a bitch which does not need a lot of work.’’
The clash between Dusty Moonshine and promising Queenslander Stargate System, ideally boxed in eight, should provide one of Saturday night’s Wentworth Park highlights.
Stargate System came from last early and circled the field to win at his Wentworth Park debut on December 5.
Although his time of 42.63 is a long way short of Dusty Moonshine’s personal best figures of 41.86sec, the Wayne Crick-trained dog’s win was outstanding.
After the race Crick pointed out that the dog had never been previously trialled or raced over 720m and that he went into the event “cold’’ without having seen the Wentworth Park circuit.
Stargate System raced wide from box three so should relish being drawn on the extreme outside on Saturday.
Varcoe">Varcoe, a new addition to leading trainer Mark Gatt’s kennels, appeals as Saturday night’s best bet in the fifth grade Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
Varcoe looks well placed as the former Tasmanian has won 11 of his 38 starts.
Best value bet is Jumble, who is drawn to get a perfect run down the outside of the field After drawing box eight in the Sydney City Toyota Stakes.
Favourite Winsome Mission has a tricky box two draw as Mazzy Star (box one) is fast early and runs wide while Jack Kade, drawn in three, also goes quickly to the first corner.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Varcoe (Race 3)
Best Value: Jumble (Race 2)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 7, 8
Race 6 – 8, 5
Race 7 – 1, 2, 7
Race 8 – 2, 3, 6
$20 for 55.55%
