Showman Jack, who won the 605m Dubbo Country Classic, the world's richest middle distance race in March, has not raced for over two months but is ready to win first-up at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Showman Jack has box two in the 520m fourth and fifth grade Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Stakes, and trainer John Smart has the dog raring to go.
"I gave him a post-to-post hit-out at Wenty recently and he clocked 23.91, which is flying,'' Smart said.
Only a handful of top notchers have broken the 24sec barrier in hand-slips at Wentworth Park and as the winner of nine races over 520m at WP Showman Jack looks nicely placed in Saturday's lower grade event.
None of Showman Jack's rivals on Saturday has matched his best Wentworth Park time of 29.51 and although the dog may want to shift slightly in the run to the first turn, he has had a win and three placings from five appearances out of box two.
Showman Jack appeals as Saturday's best value bet but the meeting's stand-out wager should be Tarawi Tiger, runner-up behind Zipping Remus in race record time in last week's group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic.
Tarawi Tiger has box two in the Ladbrokes Mates Mode Stakes, which is a 520m fifth grade so represents a sharp drop in class on the race he contested last Saturday.
Trainer Alan Proctor said: "He pulled up well after his second behind Zipping Remus and he looks well boxed on Saturday.
"My wife Christine trains Jai Cool Guy, who has box one, and he is usually a slow beginner so Tarawi Tiger should be hard to beat.
"I do have a healthy respect for Jason Magri's dog Zipping Osti who has box five but can really run.''
Whiskey Reef has won only three from 38 starts but trainer Sam Simonetta gives the dog a great chance of breaking through for his first Wentworth Park win in Saturday's Where Else But Wenty Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Whiskey Reef has been unplaced in two Wentworth Park outings from poor draws but Simonetta is delighted to see his dog in box seven on Saturday.
"He is a wide runner, he is desperate for an outside box,'' Simonetta said.
"In his first look at Wenty Whiskey Reef clocked 24.40 in a post-to-post slip and that is good going for a fifth grader having his first run there.
"Whiskey Reef's problem is he plays up in the starting boxes but if he steps away cleanly on Saturday and leads around the first turn they won't see which way he went.''
Top class stayer Zipping Kansas resumes from a spell in Saturday night's 520m Free-For-All and is going "reasonably well" according to owner-trainer Marty Hallinan.
"Two trials back he went super then in his next gallop he didn't go quite so well but he will be competitive and I think can keep getting better with racing,'' Hallinan said.
