Lightly raced Jingjing">Jingjing will be on trial for a start in the Group 1 National Futurity heats while boom pups Winsome Prince and Whittaker">Whittaker are also in action at Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The meeting features two impressive-looking Ladbrokes Paws of Thunder Preludes and a host of other quality greyhounds including Winsome Mission, Lady Ronray and Silent Effective.
Jingjing has drawn awkwardly in box six in the Schweppes Stakes but trainer Chris Nutt says the bitch has very good early speed.
“I gave her a box to box hit-out at Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park and she got under the 5.40 mark for the first split,’’ Nutt said. “She trialled very well overall and I am setting her for the National Futurity heats at Wenty on January 23.’’
Jingjing has posted fastest time of the night in each of her three Dapto wins and could get a clear run on Saturday courtesy of White Label (box five).
The Sid Swain trained front-runner looks for the rails and was skittled when trying to cross to the fence before a good last start third at Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park.
Trainer Luke Azzopardi has advised punters not to be concerned about Dragon Emgrand racing at Bulli midweek as the dog prepares for Saturday night’s Wentworthpark.com.au Stakes.
“I had nominated him for Bulli on Wednesday but that won’t hurt him, in fact it will probably help the dog,’’ Azzopardi said. “Dragon Emgrand thrives on hard work and if anything I have not been tough enough on him.’’
Dragon Emgrand enjoys a big drop in class on Saturday night as he has chased him a highly talented trio in Zipping Oscar, Cosmic Angel and Winsome Prince at his past three Wentworth-park">Wentworth Park starts.
He has box five on Saturday night but is a reliable beginner and as he races in the centre of the track the middle draw should suit him.
Winsome Prince goes for a 13th win in 14 starts in the second of the PAws of Thunder preludes (race eight), while Whittaker (pictured) goes in race six.
Best bet on Saturday though is the Anthony Azzopardi-trained Cosmic Angel, nicely placed in box six in the petsnacks.com.au Stakes.
Cosmic Angel has won four of his 11 starts from the three outside boxes and on Saturday has slow beginner Inner City drawn inside him in box five and wide running My Awesome Opal in seven.
Azzopardi thought enough of Cosmic Angel’s ability to nominate him for last week’s Woy Woy Poultry Supplies Gosford Gold Cup heats but the dog was first reserve and failed to gain a start.
At his most recent Wentworth-park">Wentworth Park outing Cosmic Angel came from midfield and shrugged off a chequered passage to win from box eight on December 19.
My value bet is the Owen Langley-trained Kasinda">Kasinda who has box five in the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
Kasinda’s only hang-up is the presence of the extremely wide running Miss Mariah in box four but Langley’s dog is a faster beginner and should be able to clear that greyhound in the charge to the first corner.
Kasinda was runner-up at Wentworth-park">Wentworth Park on December 13 and 20 before a luckless fifth in stronger class there last week.
For Wentworth-park">Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday tips:
Best Bet: Cosmic Angel (Race 9)
Best Value: Kasinda (Race 3)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 3, 2, 1
Race 6 – 6, 1, 7
Race 7 – 3, 5
Race 8 – 6, 5
$20 for 55.55%
