Few trainers have compiled a better record with stayers than ORANGE's Robert Littlefield and his up-and-coming long-distance performer Ninja Queen should enhance that reputation by taking out tonight's It's Going To Be Glorious Stakes, a 720m mixed grade at Wentworth Park.
Ninja Queen finished strongly to snare third placing at her only Wentworth Park 720m outing on December 6, but is now a better greyhound according to Littlefield.
The western districts trainer should know as he prepared champion stayer Royal Riddle, who was judged 2006 NSW Greyhound Of The Year, along with crack 1980s long-distance performers Shady City, Narara City and Shalom City.
"When she finished third at Wenty in December Ninja Queen went into the race 'cold' without having seen the track,'' Littlefield said.
"She was only a baby back then and I have not rushed her back to Sydney because I have been waiting for her to mature.
"Ninja Queen is still only 21 months old so has it all ahead of her.
"She came from last early and fourth on the back straight to win running away over 618m at Richmond last Sunday and that race should boost her confidence for Wentworth Park.
"Box one is perfect as she had to come from box three at her only previous Wenty race.''
Kwong Magic, who has box one in race three, a 280m fifth grade, has not raced since winning first-up at Wentworth Park on December 13 but trainer Vince Murray says she has been trialling as well as ever.
"When she won from box four over 280m Kwong Magic was seeing the Wentworth Park track for the first time,'' Murray said.
"I had intended trialling her a week before the December 13 race but the trials were called off due to bushfires.
"After her Wenty win Kwong Magic picked up a piece of glass in her toe and while my veterinary surgeon extracted it, the wound then became inflamed and had to be treated with antibiotics.
"That's why it has taken so long for Kwong Magic to get back to peak fitness but she has been trialling really well for this week's race.''
Kwong Magic overcame a moderate getaway to rail through and hit the front at the half-way mark when she won on December 13, taking her record to six wins from 10 starts.
She is ideally positioned in box one tonight as Gorgeous Gelmi, who has drawn two, is a wide runner and should give Murray's greyhound room to move.
Incapacitated ran the race of his life in taking ground off Bathurst Cup winner Nangar Diva at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and should only need a clear run to be hard to beat in tonight's Ladbrokes Odds Boost Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Nangar Diva stopped the clock at a fast 29.90s so the Tess Simmons-trained Incapacitated recorded a slick 30.04 in finishing second.
Simmons, who has been training for just a few months, paid tribute to fellow trainer Justin King for Incapacitated being able to record three wins and four placings from nine starts.
"I often have to go to work and Justin often looks after the dogs for me,'' Simmons said.
"Incapacitated doesn't have much early pace but runs home strongly and if he gets a sit behind the leaders will be hard to hold off.
"He is racing with plenty of confidence now.''
Best Bet Ninja Queen (race 5)
Best Value Incapacitated (race 1)
Quaddie race 5 - 1, 8, 2
Race 6 - 2, 5, 6
Race 7 - 7, 5
Race 8 - 7, 5, 6
$20 for 37.03%
