Mister Twister won last week's $100,000 Richmond Riches from box one, but trainer Jason MACKAY is confident a less suitable box seven draw will not end his greyhound's winning streak when he contests a heat of the Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Classic (520m) at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Mister Twister will contest heat five (race five) of the Group 1 series and is $1.50 favourite with Ladbrokes to score his fourth successive win.
“As a youngster Mister Twister wanted to crash towards the rails but he has learned not to do that,” MACKAY said.
“He will run in a straight line from the boxes to the first turn and his record of three wins from four starts out of box eight shows he has become more tractable.”
Victorian trainer Seona Thompson, whose husband Jason won last year's Peter Mosman Classic with Buck Forty, will rug up odds-on hotpot Aston Dee Bee ($1.70) from box two in heat three (race three).
But Aston Dee Bee, chasing his 14th win in 26 starts, will not have things his own way, with Afrojack ($16) drawn to make a race of it from box one.
“Afrojack can get out of a box and on the lure and I reckon he is capable of clocking around the 30 second mark for the 520m at Wenty,” trainer Cliff Bell said.
“He drew box eight when unplaced at his past three starts but is a different greyhound from the rails.”
Leading Melbourne trainer Glenn Rounds has not been to Wentworth Park since winning the 2014 Group 3 Magic Maiden in race record time with Anything Less but is upbeat about the prospects of Chasin' Crackers ($4.60), who has box three in heat six (race seven).
“He is only a baby, he does not turn two until August, but he is a nice dog,” Rounds said.
“Chasin' Crackers is a fairly good beginner with some early pace and is strong at the finish of his races. He has not seen Wentworth Park but I am confident this track will suit him.”
Chevy King, ideally drawn in box one and a reliable beginner, is a hot $1.75 favourite to lead throughout in Chasin' Crackers' race.
Christine Proctor, Chevy King's trainer, won the 2014 Peter Mosman Classic with the great Bessy Boo.
In-form trainer Jodie Van Enkhuyzen's two Peter Mosman Classic hopefuls King Carmody and Set To Storm have won their past five races.
King Carmody ($3.50) has box eight in heat two (race two) while Set To Storm ($6.50) has box four in heat eight (race nine).
“Set To Storm is my best chance because although she has not yet won at Wenty she trialled a quick 29.90 there last Saturday,” Van Enkhuyzen said.
“She is conceding a lot in age and experience to her rivals but with her pace and strength I believe she is going to become a top notcher. In six months' time I reckon Set To Storm will be running 29.60 around Wenty.
“King Carmody is a smart greyhound and a good beginner but he would be better positioned closer to the rails than in box seven. There is a lot of early pace among the greyhounds drawn inside him and he may not be able to get across to the fence.”
Good value on Saturday is Central Bark ($5), who is perfectly drawn in box one in heat one (race one) of the Peter Mosman Classic, arguably the weakest of the eight qualifying races which will decide the make-up for Saturday week's Wentworth Park semi-finals.
Jeff Collerson’s selections
Best Bet: Mister Twister (Race 5)
Best Value: Central Bark (Race 1)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 2
Race 6 - 1, 2, 7
Race 7 - 1, 3, 4
Race 8 - 2, 5, 7
$20 for 37.03%
