Four of the fastest sprinters in NSW will clash at Wentworth Park on Saturday night in a mouth-watering dress rehearsal for this month's Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
Heats of the Easter Egg will be run at Wentworth Park on March 17 with semi-finals a week later and the $250,000 to the winner final on March 31.
Saturday's Free-For-All, over the Easter Egg 520m trip, features Zipping Clive in box one, Poppa Ogg (box four), Two Jay (six) and Lucky Chap, from box seven.
Zipping Clive stopped the clock at 29.65 when he won at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and none of his rivals have matched those figures.
But Zipping Clive enjoyed the luxury of a fast track surface so Poppa Ogg, Two Jay and Lucky Chap can possibly improve on their personal best Wentworth Park times.
Poppa Ogg, who has scored three wins and a second from his past four Wentworth Park starts, has recorded 29.79 while Two Jay, whose past six starts have yielded five wins and a second, has clocked 29.83.
Even quicker is Lucky Chap, who has won three of his past four races and who has run 29.56 at Wenty.
Lucky Chap's trainer Jodie Lord would be happy with her greyhound's box seven draw on Saturday as her greyhound produced his personal best Wentworth Park time when he exited box eight last June.
While Poppa Ogg's early speed points to him being the likely pacemaker, Lucky Chap has won 11 of his 16 races from the three outside draws and Zipping Clive is an up-and-coming star who has won three of his past five Wentworth Park outings.
Heza Gangsta appeals at Saturday night's best value bet with trainer Kevin Keys delighted with his greyhound's box two draw in race nine, a 520m fifth grade.
"He is desperate to find the rails so the draw is great,'' Keys said.
"I was far from disappointed with Heza Gangsta's fifth at Wentworth Park last Saturday night because he missed the jump and then another dog got in his way at the first turn.
"Despite that Heza Gangsta broke 12 seconds running home and he pulled up beautifully so is raring to go.''
Fire And Smoke led by a dozen lengths before weakening to finish second over 720m at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but trainer Graham Thurkettle believes his dog can go one better in this week's seventh event over the same distance.
"Fire And Smoke is beginning better than when he was last in work and was slightly under-done when he got run down last Saturday,'' Thurkettle said.
"He was having only his second long-distance race this year and because he clocked an absolutely brilliant middle section time he probably ran himself into the ground.
"Fire And Smoke is ideally drawn in box eight this week and I think he can lead all the way.''
Fan favourite Dawn Mini will make her first 2018 appearance in Saturday night's third race, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
As a winner of 11 races at Wentworth Park Dawn Mini is well placed in this class and trainer Keith Pedrana is pleased with her box one draw.
"She fell at her most recent race in December and then came in season which is why she has been off the scene for three months,'' Pedrana said.
"Dawn Mini might not be quite up to her peak form yet but is nice and fresh and should run well from her rails draw.''
Dawn Mini has won four races from box one but faces stern opposition on Saturday from Zipping Beau (box two) and Flyrite (box seven).
Zipping Beau led throughout from box one to win his most recent Wentworth Park outing on February 17 while Flyrite was not disgraced when third to final winner Ritza Lenny in a heat of the Bulli Gold Cup on February 17.
Flyrite drops sharply in class on Saturday and is nicely positioned out wide.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Fire And Smoke (Race 7)
Best Value: Heza Gangsta (Race 9)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 2, 5
Race 6 - 5, 6, 7
Race 7 - 8, 4, 5
Race 8 - 2, 5
$20 for 37.03%
