Silver Label and I'm Pedro clash again while the Jason Mackay-trained pair Zipping Oscar and Zipping Carter also go head-to-head at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Syd Swain's Silver Label (box two) and I'm Pedro, who has the red rug, meet in the third Golden Easter Egg Prelude (race eight, 520m).
The pair also met in a thrilling Richmond Cannonball decider last Saturday over 400m, with Silver Label winning by a neck after holding off his fast-finishing rival.
I’m Pedro will earn a start in next Friday night’s heats of the Richmond Derby if he performs as expected in Saturday night’s third Golden Easter Egg Prelude.
He has scored two wins and two placings from his past four starts over 400m at Richmond, and steps back up to 520m for the first time in a month here.
“In his last couple of runs at Wentworth Park the dog wasn’t finishing as well as he should and was running on empty at the end of 520 metres,’’ trainer Syd Wales said.
“My veterinary surgeon found his white blood cells were down so after treatment she suggested I give him a few 400m races Before bringing him back to 520m.
“He is feeling a lot better now than when he last raced in town and I’m happy with box one.
“When I’m Pedro jumps he tends to prop and then go to the left so being drawn on the rails is good.
“I’m Pedro is the best greyhound I have had in the 40 plus years I’ve had dogs so deserves his chance in races like the Richmond Derby and the Golden Easter Egg.’’
Zipping Oscar and Zipping Carter go in race four, with the former coming off a great last start win at Bathurst over the 520m.
But both could be behind recent National Futurity runner-up Bad Boy Sniper (pictured), who looks well drawn in box seven and has real quality.
Penny Grove lost all chance when checked at the first turn at her Wentworth Park debut last week and is boxed to make amends and win Saturday night’s thedogs.com.au Stakes.
From the in-form Andrew Bayliss kennels, Penny Grove finished fourth from box eight in Gate Juan’s Wentworth Park 520 last Friday after winning in a nippy 30.29 at Nowra on February 9.
“Before last week’s race I trialled her at Wenty on February 13 and she clocked 30.31,’’ Bayliss said.
“The trial was after the last race at the Friday meeting so as the track was not fast I was satisfied with her time.
“Penny Grove wants to get off the track so I’m happy with her wide box six draw this week.’’
Exhibitionist led and was run down by Frost Yourself at Wentworth Park last week but the former Queenslander, now trained in the NSW Northern Rivers by Darryl Chapman, should go one better in Saturday night’s second Golden Easter Egg Prelude.
Exhibitionist, who has won 16 races, has box three and Chapman expects last week’s run to improve his bitch.
“She was possibly a run short last week because she got hurt when I was getting her ready for the Paws Of Thunder heats at Wentworth Park on January 10.
“I would be much more confident if she had drawn box eight because she ran 29.70 at Wenty from that box in November.
“Exhibitionist likes to drift wide at the first turn but she is usually a good beginner and given a bit of room to move in the run to the first turn should be hard to beat.’’
Chapman will also rug up Tuavasa Shek in the 720m Rapidvite Stayers Stakes and he is happy with that dog’s box six draw.
“He likes it out there,’’ Chapman said.
“Tuavasa Shek gets back in the field but has come from behind to win his past two Wentworth Park 720m starts so with a clear run there’s no reason he can’t do it again.’’
Likely pacemaker Smooth Number, whose Wentworth Park 720m record is a remarkably consistent two wins and three placings from six starts, looms as the dog Tuavasa Shek will have to catch.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday tips:
Best Bet: Bessy Boo (Race 5)
Best Value: Cawbourne Kayono (Race 2)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 3, 2, 8
Race 6 – 7, 6, 1
Race 7 – 3
Race 8 – 1, 3
$20 for 111.11%
