The unbeaten Wentworth Park record of Wow's litter brother Ad Astra will be put to the test when the Karina Britton-trained flyer takes on NSW Sprint Championship winner Ritza Coen and boom Victorian puppy Do It in Saturday night's Free-For-All.
Ad Astra has broken 30sec in each of three impressive Wentworth Park wins, clocking 29.78, 29.80 and 29.95 while Ritza Coen notched his 10th win at headquarters when he flashed home in 29.95 last Saturday night.
Do It, who has had seven wins and five seconds from just 16 starts, is in Sydney to contest heats of the group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park on Friday, January 15.
Local trainers Christine and Alan Proctor are looking after Do It on behalf of crack Victorian trainer Jeff Britton, who has sent six dogs and bitches to Sydney for the Derby and National Futurity series.
"Do It is the best of my Sydney consignment,'' Britton said.
"He is not a brilliant beginner but gets out of the boxes okay and is a good fencer, he loves the rails.''
Do It has drawn four on Saturday but with only five rivals and a vacant box in three, he should get a clear run to the first turn.
The dog's Victorian wins include a fast 29.69 over 525m at The Meadows and a slick 29.41 effort over the Sandown 515m.
Ritza Coen's kennelmate Shanjo Prince's drop back to fifth grade in Saturday night's GBOTA Welcome Stakes gives the Mark Gatt-trained dog a chance to land his eighth Wentworth Park win.
Shanjo Prince won a fourth and fifth grade at Wentworth Park on December 23 but following two unplaced efforts in top grade at the track has come up with box seven in Saturday's far easier race.
At his most recent outing Shanjo Prince began better than usual from box three but ran off the track and collided at the first turn.
In that collision he checked Winlock On Top and bumped into the same dog again on the back straight, ruining the prospects of both greyhounds.
The shift to a more suitable wide draw on Saturday combined with the plunge in class should put the wide running Shanjo Prince back into the winner's circle.
Lanmore Babe, who has been runner-up at her past three Wentworth Park starts, should only need to avoid trouble in the run to the first turn to take out Saturday's Where Else But Wenty Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Lanmore Babe, who has chased home Gordito, Royal Emgrand and Me Me Mia in tougher fifth grades at her past three starts, has box three.
Good Odds Rebel, box two, is a good beginner and wide runner while Memories One, in four, is also a quick starter so Lanmore Babe's recently developed habit of dwelling at the start could be a blessing on Saturday.
"Lanmore Babe used to be a consistently good box dog but these days she misses the kick all the time,'' Steve Moran, whose wife Pauline trains the greyhound, said.
"We have tried everything to get Lanmore Babe back to being a good beginner but nothing works.
"At the same time we are not complaining because she keeps drawing a cheque at Wentworth Park where she has had three wins and six seconds from 13 starts.''
Former Queenslander Opinions will be on trial for a start in the Ladbrokes National Derby heats on Friday, January 15, when he steps out in Saturday's Ladbrokes Easy Form Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Now trained on the NSW south coast by Marie Burton, Opinions was far from disgraced when fourth to Surprise Baby, Zipping Niseko and Mr Ticket at his Wentworth Park debut on Wednesday.
Opinions bungled the start but showed good mid-race speed to be third in the middle stages, winding up just out of the placings, beaten two lengths.
Saturday's race looks an easier affair and with the benefit of Wednesday's experience on the track Opinions could be ready to run up to his fast 30.10 Dapto 520m win, recorded from box eight, on December 17.
