Mister Twister's domination of group races in 2017 is expected to continue at Wentworth Park tonight with the Jason MACKAY-trained greyhound poised to take out the Group 2 Bob Payne Spring Sprint (520m).
Mister Twister (pictured) has already won the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic, the Group 2 Black Top as well as the lucrative Richmond Riches and is on song for this week's assignment, according to MACKAY.
"He pulled up perfectly after his heat win last Saturday and has had his normal pre-race preparation, comprising plenty of free galloping, this week,'' MACKAY said.
"There is not a lot of early speed around him, with Up Hill Jill, in box one, looking the only greyhound capable of holding him out early.
"If he sits behind her Mister Twister will be hard to beat, but if he nails the start he has a good chance of cutting her off early and leading around the first turn.''
Best outsider is front-running Flying Mikayla, who matched strides with Mister Twister for the first 200m of last week's heat, before finishing second, beaten four lengths.
Flying Mikayla was bought at a puppy auction for a meagre $500 by her owner-trainer Lee Burke.
"She has box five in the final and everyone tells me that is a good draw at Wentworth Park,'' Burke said.
"Flying Mikayla likes to use a bit of the track so with her early speed she should run down the middle of the course and be up near the lead at the first corner.''
Mister Twister's fastest heat time of 30.02 was only 0.01 faster than the figures posted by Watch The Wasp but that greyhound has drawn awkwardly in box two tonight.
Meanwhile, the Group 3 Chairman’s Cup – the other feature on tonight – has been turned on its head with short-priced favourite Fanta Bale scratched from the race due to illness.
Fanta Bale came from behind to win her heat in 42.25 - far quicker than the 42.59 posted by Mr. Shire - but was sensationally scratched on Friday morning.
In another shock, Outside Pass will miss the race due to injury.
The two scratchings mean Starzsa Light and Sherbini will now gain starts for the Group 3 final. Starzsa Light will jump from box three and Sherbini will jump from box five.
Speaking before Fanta Bale’s scratching, Mr. Shire’s trainer Bob McColm was upbeat about his greyhound’s prospects, even though his greyhound moves from box one in the heats to box seven.
"I didn't want him drawn on the fence in the final because front-running railers like Fanta Bale and Tahlia's Way, who has box four, might have chopped him off early,'' McColm said.
"Mr. Shire has won six of his eight starts from boxes seven and eight and should improve on last week's time, because that was only his second 720m gallop since late June.''
Click here for Wentworth Park fields, form and tips.
Jeff Collerson's picks
Best Bet: El Magnifico (Race 7)
Best Value: Good Odds Bricky (Race 4)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 8, 6
Race 6 - 7, 9
Race 7 - 1, 8
Race 8 - 3, 1, 5
$20 for 55.55%
