The first Sydney appearance of National Distance Championship winner Ring The Bell and a sensational sprint line-up in the Warren Mundine Appreciation Stakes highlight a great card at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
National Derby winner Magic Spring and Canberra Cup victor Let It Develop tackle in-form Wentworth Park specialists Good Odds Angel, Maja Mahi Mahi and Tilly">Tilly's Boy in the Warren Mundine, 520m.
Ring The Bell, who has box five in heat one of the Ladbrokes Sydney Cup, has scored five wins and a third from his past six starts.
He will have no easy task with up and coming NSW stayers Miss Foxy Lee, Zipping Silva and Cardiology drawn inside him in boxes one, two and three.
Chairman's Cup winner Whittaker">Whittaker heads the line-up in heat two, where he takes on another top local, More In Store, along with the well performed interstate visitors Olivia Benson and Azurite">Azurite.
But Ring The Bell is the star attraction and while the dog has not seen Wentworth Park trainer Gerry O'Keefe is not too concerned.
"The timing just wasn't right for me to bring him to Wenty for a trial,'' Victorian-based O'Keefe said. "But the dog is very fit, is jumping out of his skin, and is a terrific traveller.
"I will drive to Sydney with him on race day but Ring The Bell is so relaxed in the car I usually have to wake him up when we arrive.
"Formerly the dog was desperate to find the rails but he is racing with more maturity nowadays.
"On Saturday I expect him to begin well and then cross to the rails so I'm hoping the front running types in boxes one, two and three will beat him to the first corner and get out of his way.
"Ring The Bell is powerful at the end of his races and while he likes to rail, he will also go around his rivals if needed.''
The WA-trained Olivia Benson led to the home turn when third in Whittaker">Whittaker's Chairman's Cup final victory and while Azurite was third in very slow time at her only Wentworth Park appearance, she has improved considerably.
Victoria's Azurite has scored two wins and two seconds from her past four starts at The Meadows, Sandown and Cranbourne, although Whittaker remains the dog they have to topple in heat two of the Cup.
"I am happy with his box two draw because Whittaker has lost a bit of his early pace as he has got older and is now racing like a true stayer,'' trainer Julie Fletcher said.
"I trialled him over 400m at Bulli on Tuesday and Whittaker recorded 22.91 on a track that was considered around three-tenths of a second slow.
"His run home time was as good as he ever clocks so I could not be happier with him.''
Dean Swain considers Tilly's Boy ideally drawn in box eight in the Warren Mundine Appreciation Stakes but said the quality field must be respected.
"I can't be confident because this is like a Group 1 final," he said. "It is one of the hottest 520 metre fields I've seen at Wenty this year, but Tilly's Boy is going terrific and his last start win at The Meadows was great.
"He dwelt at the start but still clocked a first split of 5.06 and an experienced local clocker told me only the fastest greyhounds break five seconds to that mark and they only do that if they come out running.''
Saturday's safest bet should be the remarkable campaigner Bessy Boo, who has box one in heat two of the 520m #cantheban Sprint Series.
Bessy Boo has drawn ideally in box one and as the winner of 28 Wentworth Park 520m races he should relish tackling fifth grade opposition.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Bessy Boo (Race 7)
Best Value: Tilly's Boy (Race 3)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 5, 1, 2
Race 6 - 2, 5, 6
Race 7 - 1, 3
Race 8 - 1, 6
$20 for 55.55%
