She Zipper will be off to Melbourne to trial at Sandown with a view to tackling the $420,000 Launching Pad series there if she goes as well as expected in Saturday night's Ladbrokes 1-2 Wins Final at Wentworth Park.
She Zipper has drawn box one at Wentworth Park and will be a red hot favourite following her all-the-way heat win on Jan 22 in 29.88, easily fastest qualifying time.
"The heats of the Launching Pad are on March 26 and I think She Zipper, while she is still a bit young and silly, is good enough to step up to that class,'' said trainer Peter Lagogiane said.
Lagogiane, who won the inaugural 2018 Million Dollar Chase with Mystic Riot (pictured), should know as he won a Launching Pad with his brilliant sprinter Beast Unleashed and has a big opinion of She Zipper.
Just 23 months old, She Zipper will be having her fifth start on Saturday night and her third at Wentworth Park, where she was an unlucky first-up third in a heat of the Ladbrokes National Futurity on January 17.
Saturday night's card marks the first Wentworth Park appearance of highly rated stayer What About It, trained at Iluka, on the NSW north coast, by Mick Patterson.
At her most recent start What About It was a fast finishing second to True Detective, widely considered Australia's best stayer, in the $75,000 to the winner Garrard's Gold Cup final over 710m at Albion Park on January 10.
"She has always looked like she would make a stayer and when she won over 600m at Albion Park on November 25 she clocked 34.73, one of the quickest times posted there, running home in a flying 12.75,'' Patterson said.
"What About It was held up on the home turn when she went down by less than a length to True Detective and is well drawn in box two on Saturday at Wenty.
"I took her down to Sydney for a 720m trial on the track and she clocked 42.70.
"I thought she would go quicker than that but her run home time was outstanding and maybe I expected too much considering she had just completed a car trip lasting a bit over eight hours.''
Royal Emgrand will be hard to beat in Saturday's opening event, a 520m fifth grade, if he can "find the fence'' according to trainer Luke Azzopardi.
"He has not raced since January 17 but there has been nothing wrong with him, I just had a couple of weeks holiday,'' Azzopardi said.
"Royal Emgrand trialled over 330m at Richmond on Monday and while his time was nothing flash, he is not a short course dog and is far better suited over the 520m of Saturday's race.
"Box four is no help so I hope the dogs drawn inside him go fast early and get out of his way.
"If that happens Royal Emgrand will dive onto the rails and will be hard to beat.''
Ouzo was desperately unlucky when second to classy Victorian sprinter Wallbanger at Wentworth Park on January 24 and will appreciate the shift from box eight in that race to the inside draw in Saturday's third race, a 520m fifth grade.
Last week Ouzo missed the jump but after showing great pace to be third on the back straight, he was badly hampered approaching the home turn.
Saturday's race is much easier and Ouzo looks set to enhance his box one record which stands at two wins from three outings.
Twice As Wice and Mike's Return, the greyhounds drawn outside Ouzo in boxes two and three, are not "hard'' railers so should give the Kayla-Jane COLEMAN trained greyhound plenty of room to move in the charge to the first corner.
Best Bet She Zipper (race 6)
Best Value Ouzo (race 3)
Quaddie race 5 - 1, 4
Race 6 - 1, 3, 2
Race 7 - 3, 7, 6
Race 8 - 6, 5, 4
$20 for 37.03%
