Grid Lock's eight wins have been on provincial tracks but the form around the greyhound augurs well for his prospects at Wentworth Park tonight.
Grid Lock, trained in the Hunter Valley by Jenny Barnett, has box two in the 5th grade WP On Facebook Stakes (race four, 520m) almost a week after the greyhound won over 450m at Maitland.
In that race, Grid Lock trounced four greyhounds who, between them, have won a staggering 18 races at Wentworth Park.
Left in Grid Lock's wake were Sound Advice and Better Call Sloy, who have each won six races at headquarters, along with Red Four and In The Moonlight, whose Wentworth Park tally stands at three wins apiece.
“Grid Lock wants an inside box so I am pleased with his draw,” Barnett said.
“Before he had his only race at Wentworth Park, when he finished fifth in early November, the only time he had seen the track was in a post-to-post hand-slip.”
In other action at Wentworth Park, leading trainer Jason MACKAY will bring four city newcomers to compete in the heats of the Ladbrokes Odds Boost 2-5 win series.
MACKAY will have ZIPPING-mack">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Mack (race one), Aston Duke (race five), ZIPPING Blaze (race six) and ZIPPING-clive">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Clive (race seven) and each are likely to be among the favourites for their races.
“ZIPPING-mack">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Mack is probably the quickest of my quartet but he is still working out what it's all about and being such a big dog, he is 38 kilograms, he can be a bit awkward,” MACKAY said.
“Most suitably drawn of my runners in ZIPPING-clive">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Clive, because he has box seven and he is desperate for a wide draw. He won well at Gosford last week from box three but all he wanted to do was to get to the outside of the track.
“ZIPPING-clive">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Clive was having his first test beyond 500m when he raced at Gosford yet he ran home in faster time than Poppa Ogg, who had won a higher grade race in near record time.”
ZIPPING-clive">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Clive and ZIPPING-mack">ZIPPING">ZIPPING Mack are sons of MACKAY's former Wentworth Park champion ZIPPING Willow, who won 34 races from 53 starts between 2013 and 2015.
MACKAY's greyhound facing the weakest opposition tonight is ZIPPING Blaze who showed good mid-race dash to hit the front leaving the back straight Before finishing a close second to the talented Splinters in a fast 29.84 at Gosford last week.
Tonight’s best bet should be Kooka Jak, who has box four in thedogs.com.au Stakes (race 10, 720m).
Kooka Jak made his Wentworth Park debut last Wednesday and after making the pace most of the way, was beaten just under a length by his kennelmate Sheza Slingshot.
“I had expected Kooka Jak to beat Sheza Slingshot so while the result surprised me I think Kooka Jak will be improved by the run,” trainer Mark Davidson said.
Kooka Jak is a proven long-distance performer and was runner-up to Group 1 winner Bogie Bekim in a 731m event at Adelaide's Angle Park earlier this year. He meets far weaker opposition tonight.
