Space Star will be sent out an odds-on favourite despite drawing box four in next Saturday night’s Group 3 Wentworth Park Gold Cup final.
That’s the opinion of bookmaker Damien Harris, who believes the greyhound is "reasonably well drawn" in the 720m event.
“There isn’t a lot of pace inside him and Lillycette, who has box five, moves up the track so Space Star should get a clear run to the first turn,’’ Harris said after the dog’s sizzling heat win.
“Space Star is just airborne at the moment and has a terrific will to win.
“Mullaway in box one has a great draw too and he could be the hardest to beat.’’
But Mullaway took 42.17 to run down Lillycette in his heat while Space Star upset a massive betting plunge on Sweet It Is to win in 41.71.
Mullaway’s Gold Coast trainer Joanne Price was thrilled to get box one and after the dog’s win pointed out that he had broken the Ipswich 630m record in a trial five nights before the Cup heats.
“He has an unhappy knack of hitting the running rail and tonight was the first time he hasn’t done that at Wentworth Park,’’ Price said.
“I started walking greyhounds when I was 11 years old and was born to be a trainer as my grandfather trained the Victorian champions Fawn Nulla and Nulla View in the mid 1960s.’’
Sweet It Is will be second favourite in the Cup but her box six draw is not great.
The Marty Hallinan-trained duo Zipping Felix (box two) and Zipping Maggie (seven) will keep the interstate visitors on their toes.
“Zipping Maggie trialled better than she has ever gone in a hit-out at Wenty four nights before the Cup heats and had no luck finishing fourth in Mullaway’s heat,’’ Hallinan said on Saturday.
“She is not badly drawn in seven in the final because there is not much speed each side of her.
“If I trialled Zipping Maggie and Zipping Felix together, Maggie would win for sure, but Felix is improving all the time.
“He was blocked for a rails run on the back straight before finishing third in Space Star’s heat and he loves the fence so is well positioned in box two in the final.’’
“Confidence is a marvellous thing,’’ remarked trainer Ron Bell after Senorita Pearl stopped the clock at a personal best 29.60 in her all-the-way win in the Ladbrokes Sprint Final, 520m.
“Early in her career I thought she wanted an inside box because she is a good railer,’’ Bell said.
“But in a couple of her defeats Senorita Pearl didn’t seem to relish having other dogs pressuring her on the outside so I decided she might be better suited boxed wide.
“And she seemed to prove that when she bullocked her way to the front, after drawing box six, to win in her best Wenty race time of 30.03 in the Ladbrokes heat.
“But apparently that race boosted her confidence because she went like a rocket from box two tonight, leading all the way and running splits of 5.31, 13.65 and 17.80.
“She even ran home in 11.80 which is fantastic for her.’’
Only Chica Destacada, freshened up by trainer Doreen Drynan after four failures at Wentworth Park and The Meadows, went faster on Saturday night.
The National Sprint Championship winner led throughout in 29.51, recording splits of 5.35, 13.67 and 17.76sec.
See you next week!
