Tyson Barton had not set foot on Wentworth Park until Saturday night but the 35-year-old Casino trainer will never forget his first visit to NSW's main track as he won the opening two races with Seductive Avatar and Miyazaki.
Seductive Avatar went fast out wide to be second at the first turn and after grabbing the lead entering the back straight won race one in 30.31sec.
Miyazaki, a daughter of Mitch Northfield's former group race winner Mitcharlie Mia, trailed pacemaker Chasing Mavis to the home turn before finishing best to win race two in 30.28.
"Victorian trainer Jacqueline Greenough owns Seductive Avatar who is a grand-daughter of So Seductive, a top class stayer I owned and who was trained for me by Jacqueline and her husband Kel,'' Barton explained.
"There is not much between my two winners with Miyazaki possessing a bit more early speed while Seductive Avatar is stronger at the end of 520m.''
Fastest 520m time of the night was 29.73, posted by the Peter Lagogiane-trained Shetland who was fourth early and second on the back straight before roaring away to record an easy fifth grade win.
"Shetland is owned by Susan Smith and when the dog caught my eye a while back I tried to buy him,'' Lagogiane said.
"Susan did not want to part with Shetland but then, after the dog went 'off the boil' a little, she asked me if I wanted to train him on her behalf.''
Aston Zodiac, who qualified for the TAB Million Dollar Chase semi-finals by leading throughout in her 515m heat at LADBROKES GARDENS on September 19, led all the way again at WP on Saturday night.
The Geoff Grimwood-trained Aston Zodiac posted brilliant sectional times if 5.42, 13.72 and 17.86 on the way to clocking a slick 29.85, her personal best WP time in nine outings.
"She is remarkably consistent in the way she keeps recording those fast splits,'' Grimwood said.
"And she is getting a bit stronger at the end of 520m, she got to the line pretty well tonight.
"She had box six tonight but I'd love to see Aston Zodiac come up with box one in her Million Dollar Chase semi here on October 9.''
Owner-trainer Rod Metselaar was pleasantly surprised at how well Tap Out Sniper finished off the 720m when he took out Saturday night's sole long-distance event at Wentworth Park.
Tap Out Sniper, who had finished sixth at his only previous 720m attempt, shrugged off a check at the first turn and came from fifth on the back straight to hit the front on the home turn.
He drew away to win in the fair time of 42.78, a good effort considering he was hampered when trapped outside Ninja Queen on the first corner.
"I wasn't certain if he had enough work going into tonight's race to get the 720m, and even then I was not sure how strongly he would run the trip out,'' Metselaar said.
"Tap Out Sniper had been trialling well though and a fortnight ago ran the hands off the clock in a 535m trial at Richmond, clocking 30.50.''
Sunburnt Highway, who turned four in August, notched his 17th Wentworth Park win at start number 68 at headquarters when he came from second going through the pen to win a 520m Masters race in 30.05.
"He is going as well now as when he was a two year old,'' John Richardson, whose wife Judith trains Sunburnt Highway, declared later.
