Are Jai Que In Line For Black Top

By Jeff Collerson

Are Jai Que, who took her record to a remarkably consistent 19 wins from 28 starts at Dapto on Thursday, is likely to tackle the Group 2 Black Top series.

Michael Clayton's greyhound looks a strong contender for the $40,000-to-the-winner series at Unibet Gardens, which starts on August 21.

Click here to watch a replay of Are Jai Que's latest win.

"I'll discuss the idea with her owners but that race is my preferred option,'' trainer Clayton said.

"My plan is to nominate her for Wentworth Park next Saturday night because she is still eligible for a fifth grade there, then trial her at The Gardens before the Black Top heats.

"I figure if she can run 29.70 when setting the pace at Dapto she is going to be awfully hard to catch over 515m at The Gardens, a great front-runner's track.''

Clayton won a double at Dapto on Thursday with Go Ginger Go, who had a litter of puppies six months ago, scoring impressively.

"I am rearing her litter for her owners and when they asked me if I thought it was worth putting her back into work I agreed, admittedly somewhat reluctantly at first,'' Clayton said.

"Go Ginger Go had been racing in Melbourne and was a last start winner at The Meadows when she came in season and was mated.

"But she likes Wentworth Park and has only been lightly-raced, with her Dapto race being just her 27th start.''

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Top Sydney trainer Anthony Azzopardi has returned from his annual Victorian campaign, during which he won 34 races in seven weeks.

Zambora Brockie and Spring James have not yet started in Sydney but Azzopardi predicts big things from the exciting duo.

Zambora Brockie has had six starts for four wins and a second and scored over 450m at Ballarat and Warrnambool during his trainer's Victorian sortie.

But the dog has won in a slick 29.87sec over 520m at Dapto and Azzopardi is now targeting the Phil Davis Memorial over 535m at Richmond with the dog.

"That race is on this week and looks ideal for Zambora Brockie, while I will head to Wentworth Park with Spring James.''

Spring James, who won over 425m at Bendigo, 450m at Ballarat and 460m at Geelong during Azzopardi's southern trip, has had seven starts for five wins and two seconds.

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WHILE on the subject of strike rates, how about the record of Julie Fletcher's current two-dog team of Martin Clegg and Whittaker.

Whittaker has won 11 of 22 starts, most of them in top or near top grade company, while Martin Clegg also created a 50 per cent winning strike rate at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.

Martin Clegg made it 15 wins from 30 appearances when he came from midfield to win at his first attempt over 720 metres.

"He is no world beater but Martin Clegg is a terrific chaser," trainer Fletcher said.

"I wasn't sure if he would run 720 metres and when he was back in fourth position on the back straight I was far from confident.

"To watch him rattle home along the fence from second on the home bend shows just how hard this dog tries.''

An impressed race watcher at Wentworth Park was Robert Smith, who trained former champion sprinter Miss Elly Mint.

"I have not seen a better railer than Martin Clegg, he scraped paint off the inside rail for the entire 720 metres,'' Smith said.

"He might not be a superstar but he can stay and with railing ability like that he is always going to be in with a show when he draws an inside box.''