McFadyen Duo Look Good On Wednesday

By Jeff Collerson
Belmont Duchess, whose younger half-brother Belmont Bullet has qualified for Saturday's Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg, makes her Wentworth Park debut at start number 24 on Wednesday night.

Belmont Bullet gave 41-year-old trainer Joe McFadyen his biggest thrill in 15 years in the sport by upsetting the big names as a $51 outsider to win his Easter Egg semi-final last Saturday.

And on Wednesday Belmont Duchess can win first-up at Wentworth Park after drawing the rails alley in the Ladbrokes Switch Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

"Belmont Duchess is a real box one bandit,'' McFadyen said.

"She has had a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park and while she has won three from four races out of box one, I just hope she doesn't veer left when she jumps.

"Most of her racing has been over 388m and 400m from bend starts and the only reason she has been restricted to those events is because of her bad habit of jumping to the left when she leaves the boxes.

"She tends not to do that from bend starts but Belmont Duchess has always been able to run 520m and she had no luck when second, from box five, over 515m at The Gardens last Saturday.''

McFadyen is riding the crest of a wave and has bright prospects of winning a double on Wednesday with his dog Springview Bust, arguably the most consistent greyhound in training, to exit box two in the Wentworth Park Markets Return Stakes, another 520m fifth grade.

Springview Bust has never been unplaced, racking up 10 wins, six seconds and four thirds from 20 starts, including two wins and two placings from four Wentworth Park appearances.

The ever consistent Springview Bust


McFadyen said: "I'm particularly proud of Springview Bust because when he was broken in he would not chase properly.

"The report from the breakers was that he had ability but he wouldn't use it so I brought him home and re-educated him.

"After all that, to see him compile such a consistent record gives me tremendous satisfaction.

"Springview Bust looks well drawn on Wednesday although boxes don't seem to matter much to him as he is a pretty reliable beginner.''

Kangaroo Jack, a luckless third to Kimba Neo in a heat of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden at Wentworth Park last Wednesday, should only need a clear run to take out Wednesday's second heat of the 520m Maiden Series.

Last week Kangaroo Jack was going fast along the rails leaving the back straight when a gap on the fence closed and he was badly checked.


"He was definitely unlucky last week,'' trainer Sid Swain said.

"He has box five on Wednesday which is no help but he is strong at the end of 520m and has trialled fast at Lithgow and also has come from behind to win a couple of 400m trials at Richmond.

"With a clear run I reckon Kangaroo Jack can run 30.20 at Wenty.''

Ava's Miss, who has box five in the first heat of the Maiden Series, was responsible for a good third at her race debut in a Magic Maiden heat at Wentworth Park last Wednesday.

Ava's Miss was heavily backed on reports of a slick Wentworth Park trial but lost all chance when she collided at the first turn while endeavouring to cross to the rails from box seven.

She had got away cleanly in that race and should only need to step away well again to lead throughout this week.

Pepper Keeping finished third at her Wentworth Park debut last Saturday night and gets her chance to break through for a city win in Wednesday's Get Trackside Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

"She did a belly-flop when she left the boxes left week but she can begin fast,'' trainer Shayne Stiff said.

"This looks a race she is capable of winning but she has to be in front when they go around the first turn.

"Before last Saturday's race Pepper Keeping had a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park but she had not previously been over 520m so I was happy how she held on to finish third after making a bit of a mess of the start.''

Best Bet Springview Bust (Race 7)
Best Value Ava's Miss (Race 1)

Quaddie
Race 5 - 3, 1
Race 6 - 3, 7, 2
Race 7 - 2, 3, 5
Race 8 - 1, 5, 4
$20 for 37.03%