Sunburnt Highway faces his toughest task this year when he meets Bobby The Brute, a new addition to the ranks of Masters greyhounds, in Saturday night's 10th event at Wentworth Park.
Sunburnt Highway has won each of his four Masters races at Wentworth Park in 2022, posting 29.80, his fastest time of the year, in his all the way romp last Saturday night.
But while Sunburnt Highway, who has won a record 36 races over 520m at Wentworth Park, turns six in August, Bobby The Brute is a sprightly 49 months old, having turned four and becoming eligible for Masters events just last month.
Bobby The Brute was domiciled in Victoria throughout 2020 and 2021 where he competed against the likes of champions Aston Rupee, Shima Shine and Houdini Boy.
Bobby The Brute scored 13 wins for Victorian trainer Brendan Pursell but has now joined the powerful Jason Magri team in Sydney.
Magri said: "When the dog's owners contacted me about taking the dog they said the only problem was he was already four years old.
"When I heard that I told them to send him as soon as possible, because he is eligible for the $100,000 to the winner Masters Meteor series in April and May.
"Since I have had Bobby The Brute I have given him a couple of trials at Wentworth Park and he went well without doing anything sensational.
"He had a post-to-post hand-slip last week and he clocked 24.30, which is pretty good, although he didn't get to the line as strongly as I had expected.''
John Richardson, whose wife Judy trains Sunburnt Highway, concedes Bobby The Brute is likely to provide stiff opposition to their greyhound.
"I notice in his form that Bobby The Brute has won in 29.80, 29.81 and 29.84 over 525m at The Meadows and only good dogs can do that,'' Richardson said.
"But if Sunburnt Highway jumps as cleanly as he did last week and reproduces the same quick sectional times I think he will win again.''
Bandit Ned's best Wentworth Park 520m time is 29.47 and Ashley Dwyer, trainer of rival Special Blend, believes that greyhound will have to get close to those figures if he is to beat his dog in Saturday night's WP Ladbrokes Cash In Free-For-All.
Bandit Ned, who clocked 29.64 winning from box eight at Wentworth Park last Saturday, has box two while Special Blend will wear the red rug.
Last week Bandit Ned notched his eighth Wentworth Park win in 11 appearances but because he uses a bit of the track he tends to run his best races from outside boxes.
From box eight last Saturday Bandit Ned dwelt at the start but after sweeping into third position on the back straight he took the lead near the home bend to win by just over two lengths.
Special Blend, who was specked at long odds on the strength of a sizzling post-to-post hand-slip at WP, finished strongly from fourth at the half-way mark.
"Special Blend pulled up well and with a clear run on Saturday night I think he is capable of running 29.55 or 29.60,'' trainer Dwyer said.
Dwyer picked up two second prizemoney cheques last week with Special Blend's litter brother Charlie's Jar finishing second to Blackjackist in a 520m fifth grade.
Charlie's Jar has box four in Saturday night's Where Else But Wenty 520m fifth grade and Dwyer said: "It's a terrible draw but with any luck he can win.
"In sheer ability Charlie's Jar, even though he has only won four races, is not that far behind Special Blend and I reckon he can clock close to 30 flat at Wentworth Park.''
ZIPPING Demand will almost certainly have to come from behind to win Saturday's Congratulations Tess Coady Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade, but trainer Jason Magri believes the dog can win with a clear run.
"Because he has box seven and there is a stack of pace among the dogs drawn inside him, ZIPPING Demand's best hope is to flop onto the rails at the first turn,'' Magri said.
"His third placings at his past three Wentworth Park starts have been good efforts and on Saturday, if he finds room on the back straight, he will be hard to hold off.'
