Five months ago Lagoon Mandy gave birth to three puppies but last Friday in her first race since becoming a mother she ran the race of her life and produced her quickest Wentworth Park time in eight appearances there.
On Saturday night trainer Ray Webster believes Lagoon Mandy can go one better when she exits box four in the Ladbroke It! Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
"She broke 30sec for the first time last week when she clocked 29.99 after making the pace to the home turn before being run down by Ace's Chance,'' Webster said.
"I think she will be improved tremendously by that run because in the lead-up to the race, her first since having her babies, Lagoon Mandy had not been trialled beyond 400m.
"The extra 120m found her out but she pulled up well and she should run a big race on Saturday.''
Hardest for Lagoon Mandy to beat should be Fantastic Spike, who was desperately unlucky when a beaten $2 favourite at his most recent Wentworth Park outing on November 4.
In that race Fantastic Spike was carted off the track by a wide runner at the first turn and then found more trouble before finishing third, beaten eight lengths in 30.13.
Fantastic Spike had box four in that race and will relish the shift to box one on Saturday.
It will be a "David and Goliath" clash as Fantastic Spike, at over 35kg, tips the scales around 10kg heavier than Lagoon Mandy.
There wasn't a more unlucky placegetter at Wentworth Park last Saturday than Canya Smurfette, who finished second, beaten less than a length, by Super Edition in 30.36.
Canya Smurfette missed the jump from box three and ran wide on the first turn before flashing home out wide.
"It's a pity she is in such a strong fifth grade but if she nails the start she could give them a shock,'' Lill said.
"Canya Smurfette has trialled 29.80 at Wentworth Park but she is enigmatic at the start.
"Sometimes she can really ping the lids but on other occasions, she bungles the jump.
"She is only tiny, under 25kg, but is all heart.
"And when she does get away cleanly Canya Smurfette can post fast early splits because she has broken 5.20 for the first section at Maitland and our former champion More Sauce's record there is 5.15.''
Screaming Jet's drop in class on Saturday makes the Andy Lord-trained dog look the best bet of the night in the Sky Sports Radio Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
A winner of eight races at Wentworth Park with a personal best time of 29.53, Screaming Jet has been in top-grade for his past 17 starts and has not tackled a similar class to Saturday's assignment since May when he came from fourth early to score at headquarters.
In last Saturday's top-grade race at Wentworth Park, Screaming Jet was beaten nearly six lengths into fourth place but was unlucky not to finish closer to the winner, Nangar Larry.
Screaming Jet lost ground when he got onto the heels of another dog while making a charge at the end of the back straight.
