Wentworth Park fan favourite Victorian greyhound Up Hill Jill returns on Saturday night with trainer David Geall confident she will score her seventh win in 11 Sydney appearances.
The winner of the Group 1 Topgun at The Meadows in late October has box three in heat eight of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder (Race 10, 520m).
Up Hill Jill has earned just on $467,000 prizemoney with her Wentworth Park record a remarkably consistent six wins and three seconds from 10 appearances.
"She looked back to her best when she won the Warrnambool Summer Cup last Saturday,'' Geall said.
"Up Hill Jill was a half length in front when she was dragged down in the Melbourne Cup on November 24 and after finding trouble again in a Horsham Cup heat she won her Warrnambool heat in slow time on December 30.
"But she bounced back to her best to lead all the way there last week, covering the 450m in the fastest time of the night.''
Up Hill Jill has a good draw as she has won six of her nine races from box three and should get room to move courtesy of wide runners Wait There and Watch The Wasp in boxes four and five.
Australia's million dollar plus stakes winner Fanta Bale, trained in Victoria by Robert Britton, will be back at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, exiting box five in heat 1 of the Group 2 Summer Plate (race 1, 720m).
"She is going as well as ever and I was satisfied with her second placing in the Group 1 Sale Cup on Boxing Day at her latest run,'' Britton said.
"Fanta Bale will take running down if she can lead around the first turn like she usually does.
"Whether she hangs on depends on whether a really strong dog gets a clear crack at her.''
Bogie Bekim, SA's top stayer, has posted faster time over the Wentworth Park 720m trip than Fanta Bale and looks the obvious threat after drawing ideally in box eight.
Sydney's most consistent greyhound Lochinvar Hugo takes on NSW's top stayer Ebby Ripper and up-and-coming duo Bolt Like Bekim and Zipping Floyd in heat two of the Summer Plate.
Lochinvar Hugo made his keenly anticipated Wentworth Park 720m debut last Saturday and took his tally to 18 wins and a second from his past 19 starts when he defeated Ebby Ripper.
Fanta Bale's trainer Britton has Not Available in heat three of the Paws Of Thunder and is happy with that greyhound's draw (race 5, 520m).
"He desperately needs an inside box so the closer to the rails he is the better Not Available likes it.
"But another Victorian, Raw Ability, looks well positioned in this race in box seven so he is going to be hard to toss.''
Not Available has won three of four Victorian starts since winning first up at Wentworth Park on December 9 in 29.93, best time of the meeting.
Trainer Charlie Riccio considers Mr Pupparazzi's box eight draw his dog's main worry in heat two of the Paws Of Thunder (race 4, 520m).
Mr Pupparazzi has won five of eight Wentworth Park races and took out a heat of the Group 1 Silver Chief Classic at The Meadows before a luckless fourth in a semi-final on December 30.
"He is raring to go on Saturday and trialled well at Wentworth Park last week but I would have preferred him drawn closer to the rails,'' Riccio said.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Cosmic Bonus (race 7)
Best Value: Slick (race 3)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 3
Race 6 - 2, 6, 5
Race 7 - 5, 2
Race 8 - 3, 1, 7
$20 for 55.55%
