ZIPPING Ontario looks set to end his litter sister and kennelmate ZIPPING Virginia's unbeaten Wentworth Park long-distance record when they meet in tonight's top grade 720m race.
ZIPPING Ontario, who won in a smart 42.16 from box one over the Wenty 720m trip last Saturday, has box three while ZIPPING Virginia, who has won each of her two Wentworth Park staying tests in 42.65 and 42.60, has drawn two.
"They are both well positioned near the rails especially with Cawbourne Turvey in box one because she should lead and get out of their way early,'' Melinda Finn, whose husband John trains the "ZIPPING" duo, said.
"If we put them in a match race ZIPPING Ontario would almost certainly beat ZIPPING Virginia.
"And on form ZIPPING Ontario should be in front of his sister in the early stages.
"If he is I don't think there is any chance of her being able to run him down.
"But if ZIPPING Virginia happened to be ahead of him in the middle stages, I doubt that he could overtake her either because she is very strong at the finish.''
Royal Emgrand will be the shortest priced favourite of the night after drawing box one in Wednesday's 520m Free-For-All.
Royal Emgrand pulled off an upset win when he came from third on the back straight to defeat Sound Of Silence and subsequent winners Cop Magnet and Ebby Infrared in a much tougher race at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.
"He has been a terrific dog because he was sidelined for more than nine months last year,'' Royal Emgrand's trainer Luke Azzopardi said.
"Despite that he has managed to win 11 races and run 14 placings from 35 WP starts.
"I put him in on Wednesday to try and dodge the really good dogs because while he is always competitive, Royal Emgrand is really not up to the class of the very best greyhounds.
"He has been beginning better lately but doesn't have any pace from the boxes to the winning post the first time around.
"Royal Emgrand has not won in four starts from box one and while I prefer boxes two or three at Wenty, he does look the winner on Wednesday.''
While Royal Emgrand is chasing his 12th Wentworth Park win, his five rivals have won only seven Wenty races between them.
Trainer Charlie Gatt believes Super Archie gets his chance to open his Wentworth Park account after drawing box eight in Wednesday night's Ladbrokes Easy Form Masters Stakes, 520m.
Super Archie has been placed in five of a dozen Wentworth Park races but Gatt said: "He is boxed where he wants to be on Wednesday.
"I'm hoping he can begin as well as he has been doing recently and leads around the first turn.
"Super Archie's problem is that he doesn't accelerate on the back straight and he tends to get very wide there.
"But he is fit and well and this does look a suitable race for him.''
