After a brilliant Wentworth Park trial Shady Ace was a certainty beaten in her heat but she is drawn to make amends in Friday night’s Maiden Series Final at the Glebe track.
In her heat last Monday night Shady Ace (box six) was “flattened’’ at the start when Bronco Prince in box seven veered sharply towards the rails.
After being a distant third on the back straight, Shady Ace moved into second place on the home turn before checking off the winner One Samuel’s heels near the finish.
Shady Ace will relish the move closer to the rails in box three on Friday night and trainer Garry Edwards has revealed she had trialled in dashing style at Wentworth Park before the heats.
“I slipped her post to post and she clocked 24.12 so off that run I thought she was unbeatable,’’ he said.
“Shady Ace broke in as well as my former champion Double Twist so she certainly has the ability.’’
When she resumed from a spell in a stewards’ trial at Bulli on January 28, Shady Ace zipped over the 472m in a brilliant 26.38.
Trainer Garry Frazer’s plans to trial Gift Box at Wentworth Park last Tuesday had to be put on hold when the versatile trainer had to take one of his thoroughbreds to race at Taree.
Gift Box has drawn two in Friday night’s Dapto To Wenty Final and is chasing her fifth win in 11 starts.
“Fortunately the horse at Taree won but it meant Gift Box missed trialling at Wenty,’’ Frazer said.
“But I’m not too concerned as she is usually a reliable beginner and is a good railer who is strong at the finish.
“And she generally goes well first up on a track because she clocked 30.34 in a stewards’ trial at Dapto before she had ever seen the course.’’
Gift Box goes into Friday night’s race as the fastest qualifier, having clocked a slick 30.12 in her heat.
This was .07 faster than next best winner Urzu Allen, who won in 30.19.
Friday night’s safest bets should be the Steve White-trained duo Paua Explosion, box eight in the wentworthpark.com.au Stakes, and Foxy Nakita, who has drawn seven in the Rapidvite Stakes.
Foxy Nakita posted a fastest time of the night 29.70 when she led most of the way at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and the move from box three to a wide draw is a bonus.
She uses a bit of the track at the first turn and has scored three wins from four starts from boxes six, seven and eight.
Although Paua Explosion was run down on the finish line by Nightwatchman last Friday night, White was happy with her run.
“She got turned side-on at the first turn and she is improving all the time,’’ he said.
Good value on Friday is Big Bad Brenda, who bungled the start before finishing third to Spanish Flair at her Wentworth Park debut last weekend.
Big Bad Brenda had box eight last Friday and is better positioned in box three in Friday night’s gapnsw.com.au Stakes.
For Wentworth Park Friday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Friday picks:
Best Bet: Paua Explosion (Race 6)
Best Value: Big Bad Brenda (Race 9)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 8, 4, 2
Race 6 – 8, 4, 3
Race 7 – 6, 1, 4
Race 8 – 7, 5
$20 for 37.03%
