Orlando Just One Of Many Young Stars At Wenty Tonight
By Jeff Collerson
Zipping Orlando faces by far his toughest test after drawing poorly as he strives to maintain his unbeaten record in Saturday night's third heat of the GRNSW Young Star series at Wentworth Park.
The John Finn-trained "baby sensation", who does not turn two until January, is undefeated in six races including WP 520m victories in outstanding times of 29.53, 29.58 and 29.62.
But Zipping Orlando is a keen railer who lacks early brilliance and his four Wentworth Park wins have been from boxes one and two.
Finn's wife Melinda said: "He will need luck from box seven, especially as Nangar Rocket, the dog in box six, is a wide runner.
"But if Orlando can get around him, he could get a cart across to the fence because Red Hot Frankie, who has box five, goes fast early to the first turn and moves to the left.''
Finn is more confident about Zipping Sabrina and Tania Keeping, who have drawn boxes seven and four respectively in the second and sixth Young Star heats.
"Zipping Sabrina should be suited out there because she always wants to shift off at the first turn,'' Melinda Finn said.
"Tania Keeping has a tricky draw but is going great, and I reckon her second to Lochinvar Lona last week, when she drew box eight and was hampered trying to reach the rails, was a terrific effort.''
Zipping Lyris could give the Finn kennel another Young Star success as she has drawn suitably out wide in box six in heat five.
Zipping Lyris has clocked a flying 29.68 around Wentworth Park and her main rivals on Saturday night, Breakwall and Winlock All Over, are having their first races on the track.
Breakwall is a litter brother and kennelmate of crack sprinter French Martini, and trainer Peter Lagogiane said: "He has been a problem dog but is going really well now and ran a tenth off the 401m record at Richmond recently.
"Breakwall has been well schooled at Wentworth Park as he has had a couple of post to posts and a box to box trial before going from the 520m boxes and clocking 30.20.
Winlock All Over is from the all-conquering Jodie and Andy Lord kennel and has won four of her five country races over distances ranging from 320 to 450m.
"She has only had a post-to-post slip at Wenty but while we are confident she will run 520m, she may need a bit more Wentworth Park experience,'' Andy Lord said.
Andy Lord is upbeat about the prospects of Bandit Jane, who is resuming from a short spell in heat six of the Young Star.
"There has been nothing amiss with Bandit Jane but tragically her owner, Brian Grant from Dapto, passed away.
"His son Brian has taken over the ownership of Bandit Jane and she is not only well positioned out in box seven, but is trialling particularly well.''
NSW's most successful owners Marty and Fiona Hallinan have nine starters in the six Young Star heats.
They will be represented by the Jason Magri-trained star Zipping Novak in heat one, Zipping Sabrina (heat two), Zipping Karen and Zipping Orlando (heat three), Zipping Wilbur and Zipping Highland (heat four), Zipping Neutron and Zipping Lyris (heat five) and Zipping Patch (heat six).
