Wednesday night's heats of the 720m fifth grade series at Wentworth Park should have favourite backers cheering with Zipping Pearl (box one, heat one) and Buzz Along (box eight, heat two) shaping up as the stand-out bets on the 11-event card.
Zipping Pearl, from the all-conquering John Finn kennels, led throughout at her Wentworth Park 720m debut last Wednesday, overcoming a less than suitable box eight draw to win comfortably in a fair 42.72.
"Last week I thought she eased slightly going through the catching pen the first time around, which a lot of greyhounds having their first 720m races do, so she should go better this time,'' Finn's wife Minnie said.
Boom former SA middle distance bitch Buzz Along has joined the kennels of NSW trainer Jason Fletcher but while she has not been tried beyond 595m at Angle Park she promises to develop into a handy stayer.
At her most recent race over 595m, Buzz Along romped home in the fast time of 34.00sec, which was just .32sec outside the track record.
More significantly, Buzz Along's figures were inside the previous record figures of 34.06, posted in August last year by top notch long distance dog Sir Truculent, a winner of 44 races.
Buzz Along has had two wins and a second from four starts over 595m at Adelaide's Angle Park, and because she has used a bit of the track in each of those races she looks ideally positioned in box eight on Wednesday.
Prim And Proper became eligible for Masters' races when she turned four on Tuesday so trainer David Smith has lost no time in getting her into veterans' events, beginning with Wednesday's final Wentworth Park event.
Although Prim And Proper's recent races have been over longer distances she has had four wins and nine placings from two dozen appearances over the shorter Wentworth Park 520m trip.
"Because she is coming back in distance I have kept her fresh since her second over 630m at Nowra on January 31,'' trainer David Smith said.
"She has box four but I think she is drawn okay because Boomin' Ethics in box three is a good railer, and box five is vacant.''
Leading trainer Jodie Lord has been enjoying an outstanding run of success at WP and has strong representation on Wednesday with hot favourites Doonan in box three in race two and She's A Pearl to exit box five in race nine.
But most intriguing of Lord's Wentworth Park entries is the unbeaten Grim Madara, who has box six in the Congratulations Ron Doran Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Grim Madara is unbeaten in three Goulburn races but they have been over 350m so the dog is taking a huge step up in distance on Wednesday.
Lord though is confident Grim Madara will see out the 520m, commenting: "Not only is he a good beginner but I'll be surprised if he doesn't run the trip out strongly.
"Grim Madara has box six but is not badly drawn because he will run straight from the start to the first corner.
"My only concern is that Black Fox, drawn immediately outside Grim Madara, also has good early speed so they could crowd each other as they jump.''
Donna Campbell, who has On The Rocks in Sunday's Ladbrokes Cyril Rowe Bulli Cup final, is disappointed with Burn's box four draw but still gives the dog a chance in Wednesday night's Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Burn had registered six wins and nine placings from 22 provincial starts before a luckless fourth at his Wentworth Park debut, from box eight, last Wednesday.
"He is desperate for an inside box but has only drawn between one and three on four occasions,'' Campbell said.
"Burn will need to nail the start from box four but should be improved by last week's race because he had not previously been out of the Wentworth Park 520m starting boxes.
"All he had there was a post-to-post slip when he clocked a bit worse than 24.50 but in an earlier slip at Dapto Burn had matched the figures On The Rocks was running so he has ability.''
