Box five is likely to be the only impediment to boom puppy Panel Beater making a winning Wentworth Park debut on Wednesday night.
Trainer Garry Edwards, who prepared Panel Beater's dam, the champion sprinter Double Twist, believes his latest star is in the same class.
"He is as good as Double Twist was and has the potential to be even better,'' Edwards said.
"I was terribly disappointed when Panel Beater drew box five in the wentworthpark.com.au Stakes (race one, 520m) but it certainly looks a winnable race.
"While Craig Chappelow's dog Expressive, who has won four of seven races, obviously has a lot of ability, my dog trialled brilliantly at Dapto last week.
"I hand-slipped him post-to-post and he clocked 24.01 with run home figures of 12.14 and that is right up there with the best Double Twist recorded.''
Panel Beater, who has won three of his five starts with blistering times at Nowra and Dapto, is a litter brother to Jason Mackay's Classic finalist Mister Twister, who has won six of nine appearances.
While Panel Beater appeals as Wednesday night's best bet, good value looms in the shape of Skate Thin Ice, trained in Victoria by expat NSW trainer Luke Azzopardi.
Skate Thin Ice will wear the red rug in the Xmas Night December 17 Stakes, 520m, and is the winner of six from 19 Wentworth Park outings.
"She is going as good as she was when she clocked 29.91 at Wenty last December,'' Azzopardi said. "Box one is perfect, that is where Skate Thin Ice wants to be.
"At her most recent race, over 500m at Bendigo on November 18, she led by four or five lengths before being run down by Must Have, a very smart dog who was a $1.20 chance.
"Skate Thin Ice does not have brilliant early speed but she is a reliably good beginner and if she can hold the inside fence at the first turn she will be hard to toss.''
Skate Thin Ice's toughest opponent is undoubtedly Maya Herrera, a kennelmate of Panel Beater's from the Garry Edwards kennel.
Maya Herrera drew poorly and found trouble when unplaced at Wentworth Park on Saturday night but led all the way from box three to win on a heavy track at Wentworth Park on November 9.
"I like her box two draw on Wednesday,'' Edwards said.
Abmilak">Abmilak has been unplaced at her past four starts but a drop in grade could see the Michael Clayton-trained sprinter back in the winner's circle after heat four of the Evans & Sins Jewellers Series (520m).
Abmilak made much of the running before finishing sixth to Chevy Prince in a far harder race at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night and set the pace when second to Explosive Range, also in tougher company, at WP on October 12.
For Wentworth Park Wednesday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Wednesday picks:
Best Bet: Panel Beater (Race 1)
Best Value: Skate Thin Ice (Race 8)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 1, 2, 4
Race 6 - 3, 2, 1
Race 7 - 3, 5
Race 8 - 1, 2, 6
$20 for 37.03%
