It took Zipping Kansas clocking an electrifying 29.46 to topple Wow in Saturday night's NSW GBOTA Christmas Gift series so last year's Gosford Cup winner will head to the Central Coast in a bid to notch back-to-back wins in the group two $40,000 to the winner race.
Heats of the Beast Unleashed Gosford Cup will be held on December 28 with the final a week later and Wow's trainer Danielle Matic revealed that is the dog's immediate goal.
Last year Wow, when trained by Karina Britton, won in 29.16, a mere .01sec outside the race record set by this year's "sponsor'' Beast Unleashed in 2019.
When Danielle Matic goes to Gosford tomorrow week it will be the first time she has led a dog out on the course since it was converted from a grass to a sand surface.
"The last time I went to Gosford with my mother, Ruth, the track was grass but back then I was too young to handle dogs on race night,'' Matic said.
"So this will be a first for me.''
Wow remains early favourite for the Gosford race as he posted brilliant splits of 5.36, 13.68 and 17.79 before being overhauled by Zipping Kansas in Saturday's Gift heat at WP.
Fire Legend, who finished fifth to Wow in the last Gosford Cup final, earned another crack at the Central Coast's biggest race when he almost upset Bandit Ned in the first heat of the NSW GBOTA Christmas Gift at WP on Saturday night.
Fire Legend, the oldest contestant in the match race series, showed surprising early dash, clocking splits of 5.40, 13.77 and 17.85 before being run down and edged out by a nose.
After the race trainer Mark Moroney said: "I thought he was ready to have a spell because tonight's race was his 87th and he has been up so long without a spell.
"Fortunately Fire Legend has never been injured so has kept going year after year but because he went so well in the Christmas Gift he has had his let-up postponed with the Gosford race his new mission.''
Bandit Ned, who took his WP 520m record to seven wins from seven starts when he won his Chirstmas Gift heat in 29.73, is set to make a surprise debut over middle, and eventually, long distances.
After he rattled home to nudge Fire Legend out by a nose in his 520m Gift heat, trainer Jodie Lord said: "Bandit Ned is ready to step up to middle distances.
"I think he will be a sensation over 600 metres plus and am confident he will become a top class stayer, I reckon he will see out 700m.''
Marvin's Girl's trainer Garry Edwards was not surprised to see his bitch break through for her first WP win in six attempts on Saturday and was confident she could run the 29.98 she posted in her all the way romp.
"The track was slightly faster tonight than it has been in Marvin's Girl's five previous WP starts and because in some of those races the surface was wet and sloppy, she was not suited,'' Edwards said.
"Front runners like Marvin's Girl are far better off on a reasonably dry surface and after the first couple of races tonight indicated the track was quicker than it has been, I was confident she could break 30sec.''
