Exciting newcomer Mahailia makes her keenly anticipated first Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park appearance tonight.
Owned and bred by Edith Hancock and trained at Spring Grove, in the NSW Northern Rivers by her husband Frank, Mahailia looks the top pick in the Maitland To Wenty Final after her terrific performance in last week's heats.
Mahailia, a winner of 10 from 15 outings so far, has drawn box seven for the race and looks tough to hold out.
"She is Well suited where she is drawn," trainer Frank Hancock said.
"The only thing against her is that they will go into this race 'cold' as she has not been trialled at Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park.''
Frank Hancock rarely races in Sydney because of the tyranny of distance.
"It is a 20 hours round trip from my place," he said.
"When I nominated Mahailia for their 450m Maitland races on February 11 I didn't realise they were heats and if they qualified I would be forced to travel to Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park.
"I put them in at Maitland in order to start building them up to 520m racing so they have had to start a bit sooner than I expected.''
Best bet on Wednesday should be the Jason MACKAY trained stayer Zipping Carter, who has box two in the 720m AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes.
"He is no star but Zipping Carter has continued to improve in his 720m races,'' MACKAY said.
"This does not look like a hard race and Zipping Carter is Well boxed, with Dean Swain's greyhound Phantom Reign looking the only danger.''
MACKAY also has Zipping Bruiser in the Wentworthpark.com.au Stakes and former Victorian Duna Runa in race nine, a 520m fifth grade.
"I rated Zipping Bruiser a good beginner after his performance trial and when he won first up at Maitland but he made a liar out of me when he missed the kick before winning at Richmond on February 10,'' MACKAY said.
"But if he jumps like he can he should be hard to beat on Wednesday night.
"Duna Runa is a sister to Smart Missile who won first up for me at Richmond on November 25 after coming from Victoria.
"Unfortunately she tore a pin muscle then and has been sidelined since.''
Tiny Betty Barbun will be hard to toss at her WP debut in race 11, a 520m fifth grade, "if she doesn't get knocked off her feet'' according to trainer Neil Gray.
"She is only a little 22kg greyhound but can run and is capable of beginning Well,'' Gray said.
"Box four is obviously the worry and at her last start, when she won at The Gardens, she stepped to the right at the start, something she had not previously done.''
Part-owner Joe Bertinato is hoping second placings at his past two starts will have built up Takahi Max's confidence for when the dog exits box one in race four, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
"Earlier in his career Takahi Max had a fall at Wentworth-park">Wentworth Park and I thought he was a bit hesitant when he missed the jump before finishing second to Fraudulent from box one on February 3,'' Bertinato said.
"He seemed to prop again at the point where he fell but ran home nicely to be runner-up to Princess Fox last week so hopefully he begins as Well on Wednesday as he did last Wednesday.
"Takahi Max has a perfect draw so he just needs to use it by beginning cleanly.''
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Wednesday picks:
Best Bet: Zipping Carter (Race 3)
Best Value: Takahi Max (Race 4)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 7, 4, 1
Race 6 - 1, 7, 8
Race 7 - 5, 1
Race 8 - 8, 4, 2
$20 for 37.03%
