Miss Foxy Lee has the ideal box to upset big name stayers Starzsa-light">Starzsa">Starzsa Light and Ebby Ripper in this Saturday night's final of the Group 3 Wentworth Park Gold Cup.
The DEAN Swain-trained Miss Foxy Lee, who led throughout from box one to win heat one on Saturday in 42.20, has drawn box two in the final.
Her kennelmate Starzsa-light">Starzsa">Starzsa Light, who overcame box four to win heat two in 42.13, has drawn poorly again, in box five.
Ebby Ripper, a distant third when a hot favourite in Miss Foxy Lee's heat, has box six.
"Miss Foxy Lee is desperate for an inside box so we are rapt in her final draw,'' trainer DEAN Swain's wife Danielle said.
Michael Eberand, who trains Ebby Ripper, said: "My greyhound had the same draw, box six, in her heat, and when she settled into fourth position with just under a lap to go I was very happy.
"Then going through the catching pen she was turned sideways and lost all chance.''
Box one went to Gunnadoo Cove, who began quickly from box two, was outpaced and dropped back, and then rattled home to finish third to Starzsa-light">Starzsa">Starzsa Light and Jaimandy Hatty in heat two.
"I still don't know whether Gunnadoo Cove wants box one or eight,'' trainer John Heard said.
Most disappointed trainer at Saturday night's box draw was John Smart, whose greyhound Lovelace made up a lot of ground to finish second in Miss Foxy Lee's heat.
"Lovelace is a keen railer and is going really well but she has the job ahead now that she has drawn box seven in the final,'' Smart said.
Box draw for the 720m WP Gold Cup is 1 Gunnadoo Cove 2 Miss Foxy Lee 3 Woodvale Flyer 4 Jaimandy Hatty 5 Starzsa Lght 6 Ebby Ripper 7 Lovelace 8 Obi Kenobi with reserves 9 Starzsa Smiling and 10 My Boy Brodie.
Victorian trainer Anthony Azzopardi completed a remarkable 24 hours with a winning double at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, landing first-up Wentworth Park wins with his Golden Easter Egg candidates Lucky Chap and Black Sky Riot.
Just 24 hours earlier Azzopardi had taken out the $40,000 to the winner Richmond Derby with Nangar Flame, raced by NSW breeder Dennis Barnes.
On Saturday night Lucky Chap and Black Sky Riot led throughout in a blistering 29.68 and 29.76 respectively.
"Lucky Chap clocked 30.12 in a stewards' trial at Wentworth Park on March 11 but he almost fell over at the start and only recorded 5.80 to the first mark,'' Azzopardi said.
'When he nailed the start tonight I was not surprised he ran 5.46 for his first split.''
Fastest time on Saturday night was 29.65, posted by the Evelyn Harris-trained Cosmic Bonus.
"He jumped smartly tonight and ran a 5.48 first section, but I think Cosmic Bonus still needs to go a bit quicker early if he is going to be a threat in the Golden Easter Egg,'' Harris' husband Len said on Saturday.
"When Cosmic Bonus finished second to Good Odds Bricky at Wentworth Park on March 11 he mis-timed the start but he judged it correctly tonight.''
While he was beaten into second place by Nangar Bear on Saturday night, the WA-trained Single Sticka produced the most astonishing run on the Wentworth Park card.
Single Sticka bungled the start from box one and after being badly hampered by a keen railer, was a long last at the halfway mark.
The dog stormed home to go down by just over two lengths in 30.11 and will remain in Sydney to prepare for the Golden Easter Egg heats on April 1.
After the race Single Sticka's part owner Tony Forte said: "That was his first run for three weeks and he was possibly a bit under-done so it was a fantastic effort.
"Single Sticka has a big motor but I would prefer to see him drawn in box seven or eight rather than box one.
"But the rails would be okay for Single Sticka providing he had a couple of wide runners drawn on his immediate outside.''
Ruth Matic, whose crack sprinter Black Bear Lee was recently retired to stud, is looking after Single Sticka at her Canyonleigh kennels in the lead-up to the Easter Egg.
See you next week!
