They may not have the high profile of the Hallinans or Wheelers but long-time pals Greg Sprod and Tyrone WHITTINGTON are among the most successful breeders and owners in the sport and they have unearthed another star in Cupid's Arrow.
The Tom Rees-trained dog followed a slick 29.80 trial over 520m at WP by winning his first race there last Friday, nailing the start and led all the way in a dazzling 29.49, posting a handy first split of 5.46 before reeling off sensational second and third sections of 13.70 and 17.70 in a 10 lengths winning romp.
On Thursday night Cupid's Arrow will face the WP starter for the second time when he exits box one, the draw he had last Friday in the Ladbroke It! Stakes, a 520m one-to-three wins fifth grade.
Owners Sprod and WHITTINGTON bred Cupid's Arrow from their bitch It's A Wish, who won seven of 32 starts for Victorian trainer Wayne Vassallo.
Cupid's Arrow looks the stand-out bet on Thursday as he seems assured of a clear run to the first turn.
Max Shiraz, who has box two, bungled the start at WP on June 14 and got wide going through the catching pen before running home solidly along the rails to finish second, clocking 30.24, in a roughly-run race.
Ruination knuckled over and almost fell at box rise when sixth, as a $2.40 favourite, in a heat of the Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic at WP last Saturday night, but is drawn to atone in Thursday's Farrell's 4x2 Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Ruination had box one last Friday but will relish the shift to box eight on Thursday.
The Alan Proctor-trained dog has won seven of 11 starts, winning three of his four assignments from boxes seven and eight.
Although his winning form has been on bigger tracks at Bulli and Maitland, Ruination has trialled well enough at WP to win Thursday's race.
In his first look at headquarters Ruination zipped over the 520m in 29.78, recording slick early splits of 5.44 and 13.76.
Trainer Mark Gatt has changed GO JIMMY's preferential box draw from wide to rails in a bid to put the dog back into the WP winning list in Thursday night's Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes, a one-to-three wins fifth grade.
GO JIMMY was last away before colliding when third at the catching pen and finishing second, beaten just over four lengtrhs, by pacemaker Fernando Vella in a 29.81 520m fifth grade at WP last Friday.
"I like GO JIMMY drawn wide but he is missing the start all the time from outside boxes so I have switched his box draw preference to the inside for Thursday night,'' Mark Gatt said.
"When GO JIMMY is drawn wide he doesn't come to the front of the boxes and as a result keeps blowing the start.
"He can begin cleanly, he has done so at home, and I'm hoping that by being drawn closer to the rail he will hear the approach of the lure better and get away well.
"GO JIMMY has ability so it is frustrating seeing him ruin his chances by slow getaways.''
GO JIMMY has box three on Thursday and that is the draw he had when he won his maiden race at WP on May 10 in a nippy 29.85.
None of his rivals on Thursday night has broken 30sec for the WP 520m journey.
Pure Silver ran a cheeky race when fourth to the unbeaten Rinsed The Lot in a flying 29.42 heat of the group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic on Saturday night and should relish a huge drop in class on Thursday night.
The Neil Staines-trained Pure Silver has box three in the Farewell Angus Roland Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and after posting a tidy 30.07 in Saturday's WP debut he can lead all the way on Thursday.
In his Classic heat Pure Silver began smartly and was second at the first turn but appeared to "lost" and moved off the track.
After being third on the back straight Pure Silver was beaten for the minor prizemoney by History's Coming, the National Derby winner, still good form for a fifth grade this week.
"Last Saturday night was the best Pure Silver has come out of the boxes,'' Neil Staines said.
"I think he may have run wide because when he began so well he was just going a bit too quick as he hit the bend.
"Pure Silver's worry is that he stands up in the boxes but if he gets down and nails the start again he will be hard to beat on Thursday.
"At the same time, his kennelmate Watchmaker, who has box four, is capable of beating him because in terms of ability there is not much between the pair.''
