Group 1 racing may be taking place at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, but Friday night at the Glebe track is serving up a terrific entree to the weekend's action, with NSW Greyhound of the Year nominee Chica Destacada taking on the up and coming Are Jai Que in the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Sprint (520m).
Chica Destacada (pictured) bounced back to the winners' circle last Friday night at Wentworth Park, taking out a similar 4th grade event in 29.87. It was the Doreen Drynan trained greyhound's first win in five starts and took her overall record to 15 victories from 39 starts. A win on Friday will take her career earnings past $300,000, with the daughter of Cosmic Rumble just under $400 shy of the landmark.
Chica Destacada will jump from box three on Friday and while connections will be confident Chica Destacada will be able to go back-to-back she will have to go up against the in-form Are Jai Que.
Trained by Michael Clayton, Are Jai Que has won 14 from 19 career starts and is aiming for five straight on Friday where she will jump from box five.
Are Jai Que is also coming off a win at Wentworth Park last Friday, taking out her race in 30.14. While this race will be one of the toughest she has faced in her brief career, Are Jai Que looks to be on the up and cannot be discounted in this event.
Meanwhiole, Sid Swain has three front-running littermates engaged at Wentworth Park on Friday and believes two, Silver Label and White Label, have strong winning chances.
The Box Hill trainer has Silver Label drawn in three in the AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes and White Label in the same box in the Petsnacks Stakes while he will also rug up their litter sister Sweet Runner in the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
“Sweet Runner is a good beginner but she is in a tough race and I can’t see her beating Assertive Bella,’’ Swain said. “But Silver Label and White Label, while no champions, are handy greyhounds with early speed.
“Silver Label has terrific pace but at his past three Wentworth Park starts he has missed the jump.
“If he nails the start like he can and is able to make the pace I think he will run 30.10 or 30.20 which might be good enough to win this race.
“White Label has already won in 30.04 at Wenty and if I was to trial her on her own there she would run 29.90.
“Her hang-up is she is such a mad railer she won’t go around a dog.
“That trait has already cost her a race at Wentworth Park when she was flattened trying to cross to the rails while in a winning position on the back straight.
“But like Silver Label and she is in a winnable race.’’
Electric Star, who has box eight in Friday night’s Rapidvite Stakes, appeals as one of the meeting’s best bets.
Trainer Alan Pringle was encouraged by the bitch’s strong finishing box six win at Bathurst last Monday when she stopped the clock at a brilliant 29.96.
“Electric Star used to want to crash to the rails and last Monday was the first time she has stayed out wide,’’ Pringle said.
“She had previously won in 30.62 at Richmond and now that she has broken 30 at Bathurst she is living up to her potential.
“I think she will stay and the plan is to put her over longer distances later but for now this looks a nice race for her.’’
Pringle thought enough of Electric Star to run her in the heats of the National Futurity at Wentworth Park on January 23 and while she finished seventh in that exalted company he was happy with her run.
“She was badly checked when in third spot early so I thought her run in the Futurity was good,’’ the trainer said.
Two other Futurity aspirants who should relish a drop in class at Wentworth Park on Friday are Megan">Megan Keeping, who has box five in the Ladbrokes.com.au Stakes and Temalor">Temalor, box three in the Macro Meats Gourmet Game Stakes.
While Assertive Bella is likely to start favourite Temalor, a luckless fourth to Are Jai Que at the Glebe track last week, has the early zip to beat her to the all important first turn.
Megan Keeping posted sizzling splits before winning in 30.04 at Wentworth Park on January 23 and was not disgraced when fifth in ZIPPING Midge’s Futurity heat eight days later.
For Wentworth Park Friday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Friday picks:
Best Bet: Megan Keeping (Race 2)
Best Value: Temalor (Race 5)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 3, 2
Race 6 – 8, 6, 5
Race 7 – 1, 4
Race 8 – 5, 1, 8
$20 for 55.55%
