Blue Carat The Standout At Wentworth Park

By Jeff Collerson
Blue Carat went within a tick of Golden Easter Egg winner Zipping Bailey's track record at LADBROKES GARDENS on February 18 so a repeat of that run should see her an easy winner at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

Blue Carat, who has won six of just 15 starts, has box four in the Ladbroke It! Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and should only need a clean getaway to lead throughout.

Her only serious danger looks to be the Jason Mackay-trained Zipping Lennox, who has box five, but on form that dog is unlikely to match strides with Blue Carat in the run to the first turn.

Trainer Dave Irwin rated Blue Carat so highly he brought her from Grafton to contest the Peter Mosman Opal classic heats for her WP debut on October 9.

But Blue Carat missed the kick from her unfavourable box eight draw and then lost all chance when she was forced off the track by a wide runner at the first turn.


Former SA middle distance star Buzz Along made an outstanding WP 720m debut in a heat of the Ladbrokes Same Race Multi series on February 16 and only bad luck can beat her in Saturday's final.

Buzz Along (pictured) has box four but has a keen railer, Lucky Dice, drawn on her left in box three and a slow beginner, Me Same You, outside her in five.

In her heat Buzz Along, having her first start for NSW trainer Jason Fletcher, led throughout and stopped the clock at 42.40, .58sec faster than the figures registered by the other heat winner, Zipping Pearl.

Buzz Along showed great pace and set up a big lead in the middle stages before comfortably holding out tough stayer In Your Time to win by two lengths.

That was Buzz Along's first test beyond 595m so she should strip much fitter on Saturday night.


Buzz Along's kennelmate Fantastic Luna has had just one start, for a runaway win over 365m at Nowra, but she looks hard to beat in Saturday's NSW GBOTA Welcome Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

Fantastic Luna began brilliantly at Nowra on December 6 and clocked 20.61, excellent time for an unraced maiden.

Fantastic Luna also ran home in an eye-catching 11.97, indicating she will handle Saturday night's longer distance.

Zipping Stewie has been beaten in 10 WP starts since scoring in April last year but trainer Mark Gatt believes box one gives him a chance to return to the winning list in Saturday night's fifth event, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.

"He is going well but Zipping Stewie is the type of dog who needs to lead to win and in his recent races he has kept running into front runners who have prevented him making the pace,'' Gatt said.

"While he has been missing the kick from outside draws I'm hoping box one might drag Zipping Stewie out and let him get on the lure.''

Gatt's Dapto Megastar winner Ritza Donna is up against Wow and Ties That Bind in Saturday's Free-For-All but she could cause an upset despite drawing box six.

Gatt said: "Ritza Donna is a terrific little chaser and because there is a lot of early pace among the dogs in boxes one, two, three and four, there could be some scrimmaging down near the rails.

"If there is Ritza Donna might find a run down the back straight and she is pretty strong.''

Dropping to fourth and fifth grade in race 10 will suit Ziggy Star according to her trainer Peter Lagogiane.

"Not only is she down in class but she has box seven and she likes being drawn out there,'' Lagogiane said.

"Ziggy Star is going well and I thought her fifth in last Sunday's Bulli Gold Cup was a good effort considering she was a $101 chance and was in a race she couldn't win.''

Best Bet Buzz Along (race 6)

Best Value Blue Carat (race 2)

Quaddie race 5 - 1, 3, 8

Race 6 - 4, 2, 1

Race 7 - 6, 1, 2

Race 8 - 5, 1

$20 for 37.03%