Mr. Yellowstone Better Than Ever

By Jeff Collerson
Mr. Yellowstone has not raced at Wentworth Park for five months but is going better than ever according to trainer Andy Lord.

Boasting an outstanding strike rate of six wins from eight starts, Mr. Yellowstone returns to Wentworth Park in box four in Saturday night's Happy Birthday Dan Harper Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

Since resuming from a spell on July 28, Mr. Yellowstone has remained undefeated in three conditioning races over 440m at Goulburn.

In his most recent win, on August 11, Mr. Yellowstone covered the trip in 24.46 just .28sec outside the course record set by champion sprinter Wow on July 2, 2021.

"Mr. Yellowstone is a very good dog and after a setback a few months ago he has come back better than ever,'' Andy Lord said.

Mr. Yellowstone's box four draw is better than it looks on paper as he has a vacant box on his outside with Mork Visio, a quick beginner and good railer, drawn inside him in box three.

Andy Lord has his 2022 Dapto Megastar winner Good Odds Emma resuming after an even longer break in box five in Saturday night's top grade 520m event, the Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes.

Good Odds Emma has not raced for over seven months but went well in a stewards' trial at Wentworth Park last Saturday.

She made the pace, clocking early splits of 5.50 and 14.08 before being run down and beaten a head by stayer Spread The Load in 30.02.


"I was satisfied with how Good Odds Emma went because Spread The Load broke 11.40 in the run home and is a very under-rated greyhound,'' Lord said.

But Good Odds Emma faces tough opposition on Saturday from another Group One winner, 2022 Peter Mosman Opal victor Embrace, who has box seven.

Embrace was desperately unlucky when fourth to Seaton Key in a flying 29.57 in a similar race at Wentworth Park last Saturday.

She was moving into second position behind the winner going through the catching pen when she was badly checked by Zipping Novak, who ran off the track from box one.

Trainer Craig Chappelow said: "Embrace certainly got whacked in the ribs coming out of the bend and while she wasn't going to beat the winner who went such fast time, she should have finished a good second.

"She pulled up well and has a good record from box seven.

"Embrace should be hard to beat so long as Zeroed In, who has drawn eight, doesn't crowd her in the run to the first turn.''

Embrace


Rampani was nosed out of winning at Wentworth Park on August 10 by Zipping Sabrina, among the strongest finishers in training.

The Peter Sims-trained Rampani hit the front a stride or two before the line but was caught on the post by Zipping Sabrina, who had jumped better than normal but had been passed by Sims' dog on the back straight.

"Rampani had box one in last week's race but is ideally drawn in box eight on Saturday,'' Sims said.

"I'm hoping Remember This, who has drawn seven, can give my dog a good cart across in the run to the first turn.''

Best Bet Mr. Yellowstone (race 4)
Best Value Embrace (race 8)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 5
Race 6 - 4, 7, 2
Race 7 - 4, 2, 1
Race 8 - 7, 5, 2
$20 for 37.03%