Dutch Riot, the recent Warrnambool 450m record breaker, produced another scorching performance at Wentworth Park on Friday night with a flying 29.52 solo trial.
Trained by Colin Bermingham, who owned the inaugural Peter Lagogiane-trained 2018 Million Dollar Chase winner Mystic Riot, Dutch Riot reeled off splits of 5.46, 13.71 and 17.78 before finishing his 520m trial in a tidy 11.74.
Bermingham's brother Jason, who watched the trial, commented: "Colin would be stoked with that run.''
Equally impressed on hearing those figures was Jason Sharp, whose wife Jessica will be bringing Queensland Derby winner Morton to Wentworth Park on Friday for the Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby.
Although Dutch Riot will be tackling the Group 1 Paws Of Thunder heats on Saturday night, Jason Sharp was highly impressed by the Victorian colleague's performance.
But while Dutch Riot has had a look at Wentworth Park, Morton will go into his Derby heat without having seen the Glebe circuit.
Jason Sharp said: "No, he will go into his race 'cold' but he did that successfully in Brisbane when he won the Derby at Albion Park.''
Jessica and Jason Sharp will have to organise their own transport from Victoria as their son Liam, who was pursuing an air career while bringing their dogs to Wentworth Park on previous visits, is now entrenched as a pilot.
Jason Sharp said: "Liam is now the only pilot at Ayer's Rock where he operates scenic flights for tourists and transports fly-in, fly-out miners, so we won't have him to help us out on Friday.''
A spider bite robbed Zipping Novak of his chance to win the recent Group 2 Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup and trainer Jason Magri is now racing the clock to have the dog right for Saturday's heats of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park.
Zipping Novak was an odds-on favourite to win the Gosford Cup final after clocking fastest time in the heats and then coming with an ideal box one draw in the run-off.
Jason Magri said: "The day before the race my brother Ray sung out 'you had better look at Zipping Novak, he is holding his leg up in the air.'
"Sure enough he had been bitten by a spider so had to be scratched from the Cup.''
Isle's Entity, who has plenty of Wentworth Park experience, will be chasing her sixth successive win when she tackles her heat of the Paws Of Thunder at headquarters on Saturday night.
Victorian trainer Paul Abela, whose dog Panadero Warrior won the 2023 Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup, is bringing Isle's Entity to Sydney.
When she won her most recent race, over 515m at Sandown on December 28, Isle's Entity clocked a flying 29.31.
That indicates she is going as well as, if not better, than when she was run down by Yachi Bale in a Million Dollar Chase semi-final at Wentworth Park on October 6.
Isle's Entity after her Million Dollar Chase Regional Final win in 2023.
Exciting prospect Brute Banner, who has won nine of 11 starts over 320m to 400m for owner-trainer Barry Gibbons, has been sold.
Gold Coast-based Glen McKinley, who part-owned the Mark Wilcox-trained Castle Warrior, the 2022 race-record-breaking Bulli Gold Cup winner, is the buyer.
The dog will be trained by Patrick Mulrine, who co-owned Castle Warrior with McKinley.
