Christmas Cheer next on the agenda for Just Terms

By Jeff Collerson

Just Terms will target Saturday night's Group 3 Christmas Cheer over 720m at Wentworth Park following her near record win in Friday's Newcastle Cup at LADBROKES GARDENS.

Just Terms gave NSW's top stayer Blue Moon Rising a start and a beating at The Gardens, covering the 715m in 41.75, just outside Big Butters' course record figures of 41.54.

Trainer Jodie Lord said: "Just Terms is still only two-and-a-half years old so has the potential to become a really exceptional stayer.

"The four dog field concept of the Summer Cup will suit her but later she will return to the kennels of Anthony Azzopardi in Victoria.''

                                                                               xxxx

ANOTHER Jodie Lord-trained greyhound, El Rapido, is also headed for a career as a stayer following her impressive win in a 520m clearance trial at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

El Rapido had been forced to trial after stewards deemed her third placing, at her Wentworth Park 720m debut on December 6, to be unsatisfactory.

That night El Rapido, sent out a surprisingly tight $1.70 favourite at her first staying test, made the pace but appeared to ease and surrender the lead as she exited the catching pen the first time around.

Stewards accepted connections' explanation of El Rapido's misfire but requested that she trial again at Wentworth Park before resuming racing.

Last Saturday she trailed kennelmate Low Flying Crow to the home turn before storming home out wide to win a 520m trial in a brilliant 29.92sec, time that was bettered during racing that night by Dual Keroma's 29.76.

El Rapido ran home in 11.70, indicating she will fulfil Lord's prediction that she will develop into a good stayer.

                                                                              xxxx

GREAT to see Blue Moon Rising's trainer John Finn return to Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

Finn has been directing operations from his hospital bed and from home following a life threatening stroke, with wife Melinda filling the role of trainer and nurse.

During Finn's illness the trainer landed a swag of winners, including a WP treble.

That prompted fellow trainer Chris Carl to quip: "Finny is in hospital and we still can't beat him!''

                                                                              xxxx

SKY Wave, who won 25 of 49 starts and earned $172,000, has been retired and will be mated with Fernando Bale.

Sky Wave has been unplaced at her past three starts, at Bathurst and Wentworth Park in September and October, so owner Vincent Sun and trainer Vic Sultana have decided to breed from the brilliant front-runner.

Miley Nismo could also be headed for the breeding barn after an absence of two months.

The Nichole MASON-trained Miley Nismo was fourth in Good Odds Harada's NSW Sprint Championship at Wentworth Park on August 8 and was runner-up to Start A Riot in the group 1 Peter Mosman Opal at headquarters in July.

She had beaten Start A Riot in the heats, clocking a blistering 29.67 for the Wenty 520m trip.

"There is a slim chance Miley Nismo might get back to the track but really, she has done enough, and it is likely that when she comes in season she will be mated with Zipping Garth,'' MASON said.

                                                                            xxxx

THREE-year-old Hudson Weekes was responsible for up-and-coming stayer Winlock Ramirez's curious name.

Trained at Molong by his father Kaleb Weekes, Winlock Ramirez led throughout to win by a dozen lengths on Saturday night, zipping over the 720m in a slick 42.36sec.

Hudson's big brother Jett explained on Saturday: "Winlock Ramirez is Hudson's special greyhound and even though he is only three he feeds her.

"Ramirez was the name of one of the car characters in Hudson's favourite movie, Cars 3.''

The Weekes family applies the Winlock prefix to most of their greyhounds.