ZIPPING Sabrina scored her third successive near record middle distance win at Richmond on Friday but trainer John Finn will resist the temptation to step her up in distance for Saturday night's heats of the group one 720m Association Cup at Wentworth Park.
ZIPPING Sabrina followed fast wins over 603m at Gosford and 622m at Richmond with a 35.46 victory romp over the latter course on Friday.
But while ZIPPING Sabrina went to the line strongly at the end of 622m she will tackle Friday night's heats of the 520m Ultra Sense fifth grade series at Wentworth Park.
Trainer John Finn's main hope in the Cup heats now is ZIPPING Orlando, who was run down by Zipping Neutron over 715m at LADBROKES GARDENS on March 16 before leading throughout to defeat that greyhound by three lengths over 720m at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
While ZIPPING Orlando won in a respectable 42.09 on Saturday, trainer John Finn's wife Minnie said: "I think if he is going to win the Association Cup ZIPPING Orlando is going to have to improve.
"I think he will have to go a bit quicker and will need to get under 42sec to have a real chance.''
ZIPPING Neutron, who came from last at the half way mark to finish second to ZIPPING-orlando">ZIPPING Orlando on Saturday, looms as a leading Association Cup prospect.
After Saturday night's 720m Wentworth Park race ZIPPING Neutron's trainer Michael Hardman said: "His litter brother and kennelmate ZIPPING Whiskey cost him the race, he ran into him not once, but twice!
"ZIPPING Neutron's run was great and while ZIPPING Whiskey, who finished fourth, has just as much ability, he is so clumsy, he is very awkward in a field.''
The Association Cup heats will be without top notch stayer Stagger Out Lee, who sustained a muscle injury in finishing last in ZIPPING Orlando's race and has been stood down from racing for 42 days.
A trial this week will determine if ZIPPING Kansas contests Saturday night's Association Cup heats.
ZIPPING Kansas, who has won four of 10 Wentworth Park 720m assignments, clocked a sizzling 41.44 there in August, 2022 before posting 41.48 in a 12 lengths defeat of top Victorian stayers Gypsy WYONG and Ariarne Bale on September 16.
Trainer Jason Magri said: "ZIPPING Kansas will have one more trial this week and if he pulls up okay he will be in the Association Cup heats.''
While Fascinate Mel continued her rags-to-riches rise by winning her heat of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg in fast time, her talented litter brother and kennelmate Fascinate Trump will tackle the heats of the Ultra Sense at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
Fascinate Trump bungled the start but showed dazzling early pace to head off Taw General on the back straight at WP on Wednesday before fading in the run home to go down by a length to that greyhound.
"Fascinate Trump broke 30sec when he won at Wentworth Park last August when he had not previously seen the track,'' trainer Noelene Holloway said.
"He has terrific early burn so only needs to nail the start to be a definite chance in a series like the Ultra Sense where he will be competing against other fifth graders.''
Victorian greyhounds have won 10 of the past 15 Golden Easter Egg finals but while none were successful in Saturday night's heats, Mark Delbridge's trio Elite Alex, Yachi Bale and Landyn Bale qualified for the semi-finals with strong placings.
Runner-up Elite Alex was beaten a dozen lengths by second fastest heat winner Len Me Dad but ran a big race, missing the kick then being checked at the first turn and colliding going through the catching pen.
Yachi Bale, who went into his heat with nearly $732,000 in earnings, was last at the first turn before flashing home down the outside to be runner-up, beaten a neck, by ZIPPING Kyrgios.
