Tonight's Wentworth Park meeting features a terrific clash between promising stayers Belenus and Gunnadoo Cove in the 720m AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes (race five).
The Simon Ma-trained Belenus finished third to the highly promising Midnite Party at his first long-distance test over 731m at Gosford on October 11 and led throughout in a strong Dapto 600m win on Thursday night.
Gunnadoo Cove is new to Wentworth Park and to 720m but trainer John Heard, knows how to prepare a stayer, having trained Forty Twenty, who earned $99,000 from 37 wins out of 79 starts, and Westend Prince, whose 89 appearances resulted in 28 wins.
And Heard is confident Gunnadoo Cove will run the 720m Wentworth Park trip powerfully.
"Gunnadoo Cove is a railer so box eight is not perfect but she is better off being out there than in the middle because she is awkward in a field,'' Heard said.
"I gave her a lengthy hand-slip at Wenty last Tuesday and she went well, while she recently trialled 34.47sec over 600m at The Gardens, time that is not far outside the track record.''
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Inkjet Keroma will be chasing his third win in 12 days for 80-year-old owner-trainer Dennis Stewart when he lines up for a 520m fifth grade at Wentworth Park tonight (race four)..
Inkjet Keroma won over 535m at Richmond on October 12 in 31.29 but went even better winning there last Wednesday, clocking 31.04 despite being hampered soon after the start.
"I bought the dog from his breeders Ray and Sue Pitstock after he had one race,'' Stewart said.
"The only reason they sold him was that Inkjet Keroma is inclined to play up at the start and is very hard to get into the boxes. Ray got so frustrated and annoyed trying to cope with him he sold him to me, and I get my son Gary to handle the dog.
"Inkjet Keroma is a litter brother to Ochre Keroma, another dog Ray and Sue sold, and who won first-up at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.''
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Short course specialist Haich Two Mo, trained by Trevor Rice, lifted his tally to a remarkable 30 wins from 70 starts in a 297m event at Dapto on Thursday.
While Haich Two Mo has not won beyond 400m, another brilliant speedster Are Jai Que, whose 19 wins in 2014 and 2015 included victories over 520m at Wentworth Park, is to become a mum for the first time.
"She is due to whelp to Kinloch Brae in a bit over a month," her trainer Michael Clayton said.
"I hope she has plenty of pups because two have already been sold for $5000 apiece.''
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Catherine Field trainer Neville Brown had a night to remember at Dapto on Thursday, landing a winning treble with BUDDY The Weapon in 30.23 and with maiden heat winners Bar Room Brawler (30.28) and Tank The Weapon (30.69).
While Brown says BUDDY The Weapon is the most promising of his Dapto winners, he believes that Bar Room Brawler is on the improve.
