Payne Aspirants Impress But Osti Not Headed There

By Jeff Collerson
Zipping Osti set the time standard at Wentworth Park on Saturday night with a blistering 29.49 performance but unlikely to tackle next Saturday night's heats of the group 3 Bob Payne Sprint.

Zipping Osti followed a nippy 29.95 winning effort at Wentworth Park on April 12 with a sensational best of the night winning romp on Saturday but trainer Jason Magri said: "At this stage I think I will chase another fifth grade with him.

"I have put a lot of hard work into this dog and he is finally putting it all together.''

Likely Bob Payne entries who won impressively on Saturday at Wentworth Park are Len Me Dad, who won in 29.66, Mr Determine, who stopped the clock at 29.67, and Modern Swinger a runaway winner in 29.80.

Len Me Dad's effort, his fifth win from his past six starts, was especially meritorious as he had to push early leader I'm Loving It out of his path as he drove along the rails at the first turn.

Mr Determine was having his first 520m race since November when he led all the way to record his fourth win in five Wentworth Park appearances, reeling off impressive early splits of 5.43, 13.68 and 17.77.

"He will be all the better for that run too,'' trainer Michelle Sultana said.


Modern Swinger, a litter brother to crack bitch Mortified, earned a crack at the Bob Payne heats with his 13 lengths win in 29.80 in a 520m fifth grade.

Trainer CHRIS O'Brien said later: "Modern Swinger is two or three tenths slower than Mortified but he is still pretty smart.

"He didn't come out of the boxes that great tonight and is capable of getting away better.

"As he is improving all the time he deserves a shot at the Bob Payne heats.''

Another likely Bob Payne contender is the Jay Opetaia-trained Street Of Dreams, who staged a remarkable last-to-first performance to win Saturday's top grade 520m race in 29.78.

Street Of Dreams was last at the first turn and a distant fourth on the back straight before rocketing home to win by a half head.

But his lack of early pace could be a problem in the Bob Payne series, where he is likely to have seven heat opponents as opposed to just five rivals on Saturday night.


Saturday night's best trial from a Ladies Bracelet viewpoint came from Subby Ngurah's Oro Rojo, who led all the way to win a 520m fifth grade in 29.93.

Oro Rojo has now scored six wins and two seconds from her past eight starts but did not open her Wentworth Park account until her fourth race at the track.

"Frank Hurst, an experienced trainer who I have a lot of faith in, told me ages ago that some dogs need five or six runs to work Wentworth Park out,'' Ngurah said.

"Oro Rojo is going great but I'm not sure I will put her in the Ladies Bracelet, I will think it over during the week but I may keep her for easier races.''


Hurricane's Fury continued trainer Joe McFadyen's winning streak by overcoming a mid-race check to win a fifth grade on Saturday in 30.37.

After the race McFadyen's partner Kat Ernst said: "Hurricane's Fury finished third in the Taree Cup final on Wednesday and while we don't normally race our dogs twice in a week, this dog thrives on hard work.

"He has won only two of 13 Wentworth Park races but he is a lot better dog than his modest winning strike rate indicates.

"Hurricane's Fury has been racing very good dogs, apart from the Taree Cup he was a semi-finalist in the Golden Easter Egg, and his winning record would be better only for some of the dumb decisions he makes in his races.

"He almost threw tonight's race away when he ran into the back of the pacemaker Angry Ann on the back straight.''