Eight star-studded Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase qualifiers highlight Saturday's Wentworth Park card but punters must wait until race 11 for the best bet of the night when Common Step exits box one.
Common Step made an auspicious Wentworth Park debut last Saturday night when she was a luckless second behind Anjo Tornado in a 520m fifth grade and she will tackle identical class in this week's Happy 21st Birthday Kyle Stakes.
After missing the jump from box six and getting tangled up in traffic at the first turn, Common Step was second on the back straight.
The early effort took its toll in the run home and Common Step was unable to get closer than four lengths away from Anjo Tornado, who carved out the trip in a slick 29.92.
Trainer Anthony Azzopardi is upbeat about Common Step's prospects on Saturday night, commenting: "I expect her to improve because last week's race was her first ever 520m outing.
"And she is perfectly drawn.''
Head The Charge, the star of Azzopardi's team, has drawn the first and strongest of the Million Dollar Chase city qualifiers and has come up with a tricky box six draw.
"He wants the rails badly so box six is no help,'' Azzopardi said.
"But a bonus is that box five is vacant and I don't think Zipping Remus, who has box seven, is a brilliant beginner.
"Head The Charge has not raced at Wenty but I gave him a box-to-box trial on Tuesday and he went terrific.
"His first split was 5.42, his second was 13.82 and he broke 18 for the third section, so with a good start and a clear run I'm confident he is capable of running 29.50 or 29.60 at Wenty.''
Starline Express, runner-up to Victa Damian in the group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park in January, resumes from a spell in the fourth MDC qualifier on Saturday night.
In the Derby final Starline Express reeled off sensational initial splits of 5.33 and 13.73 but faded in the straight and was beaten four lengths by Victa Damian in race record time of 29.47.
Trainer Reg Gardoll concedes Starline Express will need to get away with a big lead on Saturday night as the dog has not raced for three months.
"Starline Express went well in a 450m trial at Grafton the other day, clocking 25.23,'' Gardoll said.
"The record is 25.01 so he is not far off his best, but 520m at Wenty is a lot tougher proposition.''
With Starline Express expected to make the pace from box two, the race could be run to suit Zipping Orlando, in box one, and Len Me Dad, drawn in six.
Len Me Dad has won each of his two starts from box six and trainer Ruth Matic said he trialled well at Wentworth Park on Tuesday night.
Len Me Dad has been racing at Sandown where he has registered a win and three placings from four appearances over the past month but Matic gave him a "refresher" hit-out from the boxes on Tuesday.
Matic said: "Because the boxes in Melbourne open differently to how they do in Sydney, I wanted to give Len Me Dad a reminder of the Wenty starting set-up.
"So I gave him a box-to-box trial on Tuesday and he went really well and as long as he isn't trapped three or four deep at the first turn on Saturday he should be hard to beat.''
Len Me Dad
Best value wager on Saturday night looms in the opening event where the in-form Loves A Tipple has box eight in the Jordan Russo's First Bucks Party Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Loves A Tipple resumed from a spell at Wentworth Park on September 23 and before the race trainer Owen Langley said: "She might get a bit tired at the finish but the way she is trialling I think she will lead for fun.''
Loves A Tipple did exactly that but after clocking a 5.46 first split she was run down and beaten into second place by Charlm Dancer.
A week later Loves A Tipple was sent out as a $34 chance in a strong fifth grade and produced an incredible first stanza of 5.32 and a second section of 13.82 before winning by two lengths in a personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.90.
