Preview: Wentworth Park Saturday

By Jeff Collerson
Gold Scotch has won 10 of 18 starts and while the Victorian has not previously drawn box one trainer Anthony Azzopardi believes she will make full use of the rails at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

Gold Scotch will wear the red rug when she makes her Wentworth Park debut in the Equalizer @ Stud Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.

"She has had a look at the track, I gave her a box-to-box trial at Wenty and she went really well,'' Azzopardi said.

"Although she has never had box one I think that's the box she will like.

"Gold Scotch is pretty smart and if she finds the early lead I expect her to run quick time on Saturday night.''

Azzopardi also has the well-performed Bumpy Gold in box three in Saturday's Ladbrokes Blackbook Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, but said: "Bumpy Gold is not as quick as Gold-scotch">Gold Scotch.''

Toodles Jack will be favourite to take out Saturday's MDC City Qualifiers October 5 Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

The Syd Swain-trained dog is well positioned in box two and has qualified for the semi-finals of the Million Dollar Chase through finishing third to Bella Una in last week's Dubbo Regional Final.

Toodles Jack defeated Bella Una in his heat at Dubbo but missed the jump from an unsuitable wide draw and came from well back to finish third last Saturday.

"He jumps well 70 per cent of the time but at Dubbo last week it was among the 30 per cent when he misses it,'' Swain said.

"After he missed the kick he stayed out wide and elected to try and go around his opponents but he is normally a very good railer.

"I have a huge opinion of Toodles Jack because he is only two years old and can only get better."

"After Wentworth Park on Saturday I will take him to LADBROKES GARDENS for the heats of the Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top on September 21.

"Toodles Jack should be very competitive in that series because he was educated at The Gardens so knows the place backwards.''

Toodles Jack's toughest rival on Saturday could be one of the outsiders, Subsonic, who has box seven.

Subsonic gave his 33-year-old trainer Ben Sweetman his first Wentworth Park winner after nine years in the sport when he took the lead at the first turn to win in 30.27 at Wentworth Park last Saturday.

The dog had been placed in two of four previous Wentworth Park appearances but while he has not yet broken 30sec in a race at headquarters, Sweetman said: "He is capable of going faster.

"Before he first raced at Wentworth Park I took him there for a 520m trial and he clocked 29.77.

"But when he posted that time he came direct from the car to the track and he struggles a bit once he has to be kennelled, especially in a later race.

"Subsonic had box four when he won last week but I don't think he will have any trouble handling box seven on Saturday.

"Although he rails well on other courses, Subsonic seems to prefer running in the middle of the track at Wenty so the draw looks okay.''

Saturday's Thank You Ron Arnold top grade 520m race, which acknowledges the career of Wentworth Park's long-serving race night host, has attracted a sensational field.

Five of the eight starters have recorded between 29.34 and 29.54 at Wentworth Park, with NSW Sprint Championship winner Might Have Been holding time honours.

But the rails draw favours the JODIE Lord-trained Nangar Larry, whose quickest time is 29.51 but who is undefeated in five starts wearing the red livery.

Nangar Larry looks set to notch his 12th Wentworth Park win as he could get the run of the race courtesy of Might Have Been, who gets wide and should "run cover" for Lord's greyhound after drawing box two.

Up-and-coming star Rinsed The Lot has a tricky box four draw so will need to "nail" the start if he is to enhance his marvellous record of seven wins from just nine appearances.

In Saturday's Ladbrokes Easy Form final, the draw also favours another greyhound drawn in box one, the Troy Halligan-prepared Golden Phase.

Her 29.72 heat victory from box four was easily the fastest qualifying time and none of her rivals on Saturday has been able to match her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.53.

Golden Phase has worn the red rug only once, winning in a slick 29.65 at The Gardens on May 24.

Best Bet Toodles Jack (race 4)
Best Value Gold Scotch (race 7

Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 4
Race 6 - 1, 4, 3
Race 7 - 1, 4, 5
Race 8 - 2, 1, 7
$20 for 37.03%