Aqua Cheetah, who ran such a bold race when second to the Jason MACKAY-trained Mister Twister in last Friday's Sires On Ice Black Top at LADBROKES GARDENS, will be a surprise starter in Saturday night's Bob Payne Spring Sprint at Wentworth Park.
Victorian trainer Seona Thompson has elected to leave Aqua Cheetah with NSW trainer MACKAY to prepare for Saturday's Spring Sprint heats.
Aqua Cheetah, who is owned in Wagga, NSW, has won 23 of 62 races and earned $225,000 in stakes.
The dog is no stranger to Wentworth Park where he has started 13 times for three wins and five placings.
Aqua Cheetah has not started at headquarters since being unplaced in Striker Light's Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg final on April 15, a week after narrowly defeating Lucky Chap in a slick 29.86 semi-final.
Early favourite for the Group 2 Spring Sprint is naturally, Mister Twister, who pulled up well after leading throughout, and being chased all the way by Aqua Cheetah, in the Black Top.
The Spring Sprint is one of the few major NSW races to have eluded the all-conquering MACKAY kennels.
Most successful local trainer in recent years has been Mark Gatt, who won with Oaks Road in 2012 and last year with Ritza Lenny.
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Mr Pupparazzi, desperately unlucky when favourite and a close fourth in the opening event at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, is to chase Group race glory in Adelaide next month.
Owner-trainer-breeder Charlie Riccio will fly to Adelaide with Mr Pupparazzi and trial the greyhound at Angle Park in the week leading up to the heats of the Group 3 South Australian Derby on September 14.
The final, worth $25,000 to the winner, will be held over 515m at Angle Park a week later.
"Mr Pupparazzi is desperate for an inside draw and box six brought him unstuck at Wentworth Park on Saturday,'' Riccio said.
"The dog is going really well because when I trialled him after the last race at WP on August 19 he clocked 30.30.
"That was exceptionally good for a young fifth grader as the fastest time of the meeting that night was the 30.38 posted by Where Art Thou winning the Free For All.''
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Bogan Doonie is the veteran of just six races but trainer Neil Staines thinks enough of the 25 month old youngster to be aiming him towards the Group 3 Canberra Cup.
Bogan Doonie scored his third and most impressive win over 520m at Nowra on Saturday night, overcoming a moderate getaway to win by nine lengths in a slick 29.84sec.
Those figures were just .19 seconds outside the fastest time of the meeting, posted by the Denice Warren-trained Willie Blues, who blitzed a hot field in the top grade race of the night.
"Bogan Doonie is very smart but while he still needs some work to improve his box manners, he deserves a shot at the Canberra race,'' Staines said.
"I also hope to have Tullabung Gowdy in Sunday week's heats as he is another up-and-coming young dog with a big future.''
The 530m Canberra Cup final, worth $15,000 to the winner, will be held on September 17.
