Rachel's Revenge's trainer Joe Sciberras rates her the fastest greyhound he has had in 40 years and expects her to be improved by her first-up third at the track when she steps out for Saturday night's Punters HQ Coming To Wenty Soon Stakes.
After winning six of 20 provincial races, Rachel's Revenge made her race debut at Wentworth Park last Saturday and set the pace to the home bend before beaten a length into third spot.
"For the past four decades I have owned a heavy vehicle driving school so I'm a backyard hobby trainer,'' Sciberras said.
"But I'm really excited about Rachel's Revenge, who I bred myself.
"I believe she is going to become a top notcher and reckon she will be improved a lot by her third at Wenty last week.
"That was the first time she had been out of the starting boxes at Wentworth Park and it was her first 520m test, so it was understandable she got a bit tired in the straight.
"Before last week her only Wentworth Park experience had been in a box-to-box hand-slip and her early sections in that gallop were outstanding, 5.42 and 13.90.
"Obviously Chrissie Banner is going to be hard to beat on Saturday but if Rachel's Revenge makes the pace this time I don't think they will run her down.''
As a fifth grader Shetland ran the race of his life when third to Victorian champion Shima Shine in a Bulli heat of the TAB Million Dollar Chase on September 15 and was not disgraced when seventh to the same dog in Tuesday's regional final there.
Shetland should relish the plunge back to fifth class when he contests Saturday night's Sydney Cup Final October 16 Stakes at Wentworth Park.
"His run in the final on Tuesday was better than it looks on paper because Shetland got bumped in the early stages,'' trainer Peter Lagogiane said.
"He used to be inclined to be a big, clumsy dog but is getting better all the time and so long as he begins cleanly on Saturday night, I think he will handle his box seven draw well.''
King Zesta was a certainty beaten when second from box eight at LADBROKES GARDENS last Saturday night and looks well positioned in box two in Saturday's Ladbrokes Back Yourself Stakes.
At The Gardens King Zesta was badly hampered crossing to the rails before going down by a length in a handy 29.67.
"He likes to rail so he is boxed okay but has had just a couple of starts since tearing ligaments in a shoulder last October,'' Geoff Grimwood, whose wife Leanne trains King Zesta, said.
"Because he was sidelined for 10 months we are just a bit concerned he might need another race or two before he gets back in the groove.''
Saturday's best bet should be Dance With Izzy, who notched her fifth win in eight starts when she led throughout at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
Dance With Izzy ran her rivals off their legs to win by four lengths and is ideally drawn in box one in Saturday's Ladbrokes Cash In Stakes.
That race should have improved Dance With Izzy as after her win trainer Cliff Bell commented: "I was very happy with that performance because she was having her first run for over six weeks.''
