Jason MACKAY rates Zipping Carter and Zipping Eastwood the pick of his five live chances in Saturday night’s National Derby heats but warns that Zipping Saxon can also perform much better than he has in three previous Wentworth Park starts.
The gun trainer's Derby runners are Zipping Saxon (box one, heat one), Zipping Eastwood (box one, heat three), Zipping Carter (box three, heat four), Zipping Oscar (box three, heat five) and Zipping Sonny (box five, heat six).
“Zipping Carter is in a tough heat but I have a huge opinion of this dog," MACKAY said. "He keeps improving and is doing everything right in his races.
“Zipping Eastwood gets wide but I still think box one is a good draw because he appears to be in one of the easier heats and is only going to keep getting better.
“Zipping Saxon has been placed in each of his three Wentworth Park starts but I have been disappointed with those runs.
“Having said that, this dog is absolutely desperate for box one as his record shows. He is unbeaten in three starts carrying the red rug.
“So despite his ordinary looking Wentworth Park form I give him a terrific chance on Saturday night."
MACKAY said his other pair of chasers may need a little luck to get through the high-calibre heats.
“Zipping Oscar has been sidelined with a minor kidney complaint," MACKAY said. "While he has had three trials and plenty of free galloping since his last race, he is going to lack match fitness.
“Zipping Sonny is highly promising but from box five is going to need plenty of luck.’’
Gun pups Winsome Prince and Whittaker (pictured) go in the first and fourth heats respectively and should both be strong chances.
Victoria’s Andrea Dailly kennel had 22 starters in the first round of the Paws Of Thunder and is heading up the highway with eight candidates in Saturday night’s National Derby heats.
Kennel spokesman Tom Dailly rates Crackerjack Max (heat six, box eight), Fernando Bale (heat two, box six) and Crackerjack Burn (heat five, box one) as their best chances.
While Crackerjack Max went brilliantly to lead throughout from box one at his Wentworth Park debut last Saturday night, Tom Dailly is not concerned by the dog’s outside draw this week.
“He has terrific pace and I think he will go really well from out there,’’ Dailly said.
“His brother Crackerjack Burn took a while to hit his straps but is going really well now and is nicely drawn.
“Fernando Bale didn’t come out all that well when he finished third to Dyna Villa in a Paws Of Thunder heat but he can begin much better than that and has plenty of ability.
“We have Lektra Concord in against Fernando Bale and he has just come good.
“Lektra Concord is well boxed in seven while his brother Lektra Outlaw, who has box eight in heat three, is also suited drawn wide.
“In heat one we have Ikaku Bale and Dyna Tiber and they might struggle, especially Dyna Tiber who is a bit slow early.
“Our other runner Lektra Utopia has box two in heat four and he can run, he was beaten just under three lengths in 29.45 at Sandown at his last start.’’
Crack Tasmanian trainer Ted Medhurst has two strong Derby prospects, the Devonport Cup winner Dark Vito (box one, heat four) and Prescribe (box three, heat six).
Dark Vito is chasing his seventh straight win and is ideally drawn but has come up in probably the strongest heat.
Medhurst has a particularly high opinion of Prescribe, who broke the 30 second barrier in a trial at Wentworth Park last week.
“Prescribe is very talented and he trialled a bit quicker than Dark Vito, who recorded around 30 seconds flat the same night at Wentworth Park,’’ Medhurst said yesterday.
Although he flopped from box one last week, Are Jip, ideally positioned in box eight, looks Saturday night’s best bet in heat five of the Derby.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Saturday Wentworth Park picks:
Best Bet: Are Jip (Race 7)
Best Value: Fernando Bale (Race 4)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 1, 6
Race 6 – 3, 4, 7
Race 7 - 8, 1, 3
Race 8 – 8, 2, 3
$20 for 37.03%
