Ebby Ripper, the long distance "queen'' of Wentworth Park, should edge closer to the $200,000 earnings mark by scoring her ninth 720m win at headquarters on Saturday night.
The 50 months old veteran, who is racing as well as ever, has box one in race five, the meeting's top grade staying event.
Ebby Ripper clocked her personal best time of 42.16 at Wentworth Park in April last year but showed she was as good as ever by recording 42.23 when she won a heat of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Association Cup while wearing the red rug on March 24.
Then she drew box six and had to come from last position entering the back straight to finish a distant third in Simon Keeping's 42.10 Cup final last Saturday night.
Ebby Ripper, who has won 20 of her 70 races, will lift her prizemoney to over $189,000 if she wins on Saturday night.
Box one should be an asset, especially as her main rival Starzsa Light has drawn poorly in box seven.
Starzsa Light was badly hampered at the first turn when trying to cross to the rails from box seven at her most recent race on March 24, finishing eighth to Ebby Ripper over 720m at Wentworth Park.
Pure Project finished third from box two in the Group 3 New Sensation final at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but is far better placed out wide in box six in Saturday's fourth race, a 520m fifth grade.
"Because he gets wide I had been hoping for an outside draw for Pure Project in the New Sensation so I thought his effort to run a place from an inside box was good,'' trainer Rodney Metselaar said.
"Pure Project had been trialled just once out of the 520m boxes at Wentworth Park before the New Sensation heats on March 21, and he clocked a very respectable 30.20.
"He broke 5.50 for the first split in that trial so he does have early pace.''
Zombie has failed to beat one home in two Wentworth Park races but trainer Allan Manwaring said his greyhound can improve sharply in Saturday night's ninth event, a 520m fifth grade.
"She trialled 30.30 over 520m when I gave Zombie her first look at Wenty, and she recorded a nippy 5.49 for the first split,'' Manwaring said.
"But she has not reproduced that sort of form in her two races there.
"She is a funny little thing who might go straight to the front from box one or who is just as likely to want to run up the track.
"Zombie has won in 30.06 at Dapto and on that form she should be able to get down to 30.10 around Wentworth Park.''
Saturday's best value bet should be Irinka Milo, who has box two in race two, another fifth grade over 520m.
Irinka Milo has won two of his four Wentworth Park starts but ran the race of his life when a fast finishing second to Little Nangar in 29.97, fastest time of the day, over 520m at Bathurst last Monday.
Irinka Milo came from fourth early and may have run down the winner had he not clipped the heels of a rival as he attempted to surge from third to second position leaving the back straight.
Most open race on Saturday's card is race eight, a 520m Free-For-All, where Royal Turbo is attempting to score his 16th Wenty win.
Royal Turbo has drawn box five but has the early speed to overcome the "squeeze'' alley as he did when he led throughout in a sizzling 29.90 at Wentworth Park on March 17.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Ebby Ripper (Race 5)
Best Value: Irinka Milo (Race 2)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 1, 7, 2
Race 6 - 8, 2, 1
Race 7 - 4, 2, 3
Race 8 - 5, 4
$20 for 37.03%
