Opus Forte could be a surprise entry in this Saturday night’s Australian Cup heats at The Meadows following his astonishing best time of the night performance at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
The Luke Azzopardi-trained dog led throughout in a fifth grade, stopping the clock at an electrifying 29.41, with a near record third split of 17.73 and a run home of 11.68.
After the race trainer Luke Azzopardi said: "The owners want to run him in the Australian Cup but he is a bad traveller so I’m not too keen on the idea.
"But it’s their call, otherwise he’ll tackle the Richmond Derby heats on March 6 because he loves the Richmond track."
Bundy Bear will be set for the March 21 Golden Easter Egg heats following his second successive all-the-way win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Bundy Bear, who won in 29.78 at Wentworth Park on February 14, recorded 29.97 on Saturday night after railing superbly from box one.
"You don’t get many cracks at a race like the Easter Egg so Bundy Bear deserves a shot at it," trainer Mark Davidson said after the race.
"He would have a chance in any race if he drew box one, in fact he railed so well tonight he had a scrape on his side.
"One of the stewards pointed it out to me and asked me what the mark was and I replied that was where he had brushed against the inside running rail."
Bargo training husband and wife team Robert and Marien Sullivan landed their first Wentworth Park double in a long career when Zola Icon won over 520m and Lusaka Icon over 720m on Saturday night.
Zola Icon’s win was especially meritorious as she was having her first start in four months.
"In late October she developed a thickening in her hjp support and I was concerned that if we didn’t give her a good spell she might tear it," Robert said.
"I’m of the old school in that I believe time is the best healer and the break has been worth it because she has come back better than ever, she has been absolutely flying in trials."
Yale’s first Wentworth Park win on Friday night underlined the loss suffered by breeder Peter Spiteri when his brood bitch Neat Irish died from cancer last year.
Neat Irish’s litter sired by Collision in November, 2012, and all owned by Spiteri, include the JODIE Lord-trained Yale, Pierro Kade, Jack Kade and Let’s Develop, the Andrew Rowe-trained pair Overstocked and Blunt and Amyjo, trained by her owner.
The JODIE Lord-prepared quartet have been fantastic on the track, earning more than $75,000 in stakes with a combined win total of 41 wins from 135 starts.
"Yale is the slowest and while there is not much between the other three Jack Kade is slighty faster," Lord said on Friday night.
Spiteri said yesterday: "A few months back when they were leading and getting run down over 520 metres JODIE told me to be patient because these dogs were fast early and good chasers so I was going to have a lot of fun with them."
See you next week!
