National Distance Championship heroine Fanta Bale headlines the heats of the Group 3 Chairman’s Cup (720m) while Black Top winner Mister Twister will take part in a heat of the Group 2 Bob Payne Spring Sprint (520m) in what is shaping to be a great night of racing at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Fanta Bale registered her sixth Group 1 victory last week, with an all the way win from box one in last week’s National Distance Championship at Albion Park.
The Robbie Britton-trained greyhound will wear the red rug again on Saturday in the second heat (race four) of the Chairman’s Cup at what will be only her second start at Wentworth Park.
Fanta Bale’s only previous start at headquarters came in a heat of the Golden Easter Egg in which she finished fifth.
While Fanta Bale will likely start a short-priced favourite on Saturday she comes up against a quality field of stayers which includes fellow National Distance Championship finalist Outside Pass in box seven and up and coming greyhound Sherbini in box five.
The other Chairman’s Cup heat (race three) is a much more open affair with Mr. Shire, Tahlia’s Way, Jalapeno, Packey Keeping and Starzsa Light all going head-to-head.
Starzsa Light will jump from box seven following a third placing over the same track and distance last weekend. In that race, Packey Keeping surprised many by taking out the race and if the Charmaine Roberts-trained greyhound can replicate that performance from box six he will be in with a strong chance of qualifying for next week’s Group 3 final.
The top four from each heat qualify for the final.
In the heats of the Bob Payne Spring Sprint, Mister Twister will look to continue his brilliant 2017 form by qualifying for next week’s Group 2 final.
Mister Twister was unstoppable in the Group 2 Black Top at LADBROKES GARDENS last week and looks a strong chance of continuing his winning form in the second heat (race six).
The Jason Mackay-trained greyhound will jump from box three, while his kennelmate and fellow Black Top finalist will jump from box six in the same heat.
Meanwhile, Golden Easter Egg finalist Up Hill Jill returns to Wentworth Park and looks the one to beat in the first Bob Payne heat.
The David Geall-trained greyhound will jump from box seven more than two months after her last start at Wentworth Park in which she finished second to Mister Twister in the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic.
She goes up against National Sprint Championship runner Bekin Street and the resurgent El Magnifico.
In the third Bob Payne Spring Sprint heat, Black Top runner-up Aqua Cheetah will jump from box five while Gosford Cup winner Barking Bad will exit box three.
The fourth and final heat is the most open with Little Nangar up against Zambora Cross and Mack Tux.
The top two from each heat qualify for the Group 2 final.
Click here for Wentworth Park Saturday fields and form.
