Preview: Wentworth Park Thursday

By Jeff Collerson
On times posted at Wentworth Park Ayden's Warrior has nearly eight lengths' advantage over his nearest rival so should need only to begin cleanly to win Thursday night's Ladbrokes Blackbook 1-2 Wins Stakes.

Ayden's Warrior, who is being set for next month's $25,000 to the winner Young Star series, has box five after clocking a sensational 29.39 in winning a similar grade event at headquarters last Thursday.

In that race the JODIE Lord-trained dog quickly headed off Dynamic Noah in the run to the first turn and won by just under eight lengths.


Dynamic Noah is up against Ayden's Warrior again and he is the only other greyhound in the race to have broken the 30sec barrier at Wentworth Park.

Billy Boil, the latest offspring of champion-producing bitch Nino De Oro, makes his Wentworth Park debut in Thursday's Farrell's 4X2 520m firth grade.

He is owned and trained by Subby Ngurah, who raced Nino De Oro, a bitch whose progeny have earned a massive $1.15 million in prizemoney.

Billy Boil has created a big impression winning his past two starts over 520m at Nowra, recording best time of the night performances on each occasion.

He railed well in his sizzling 29.54 win from box one there on September 9 and handled his wide box seven draw surprisingly well when he scored in 29.87 a week later.

Hardest for Billy Boil to beat could be the Mick Hardman-trained pair Major Mcgraw (box one) and Devious (box four).

Devious is new to Wentworth Park but won in a slick 29.97 over 520m at Dapto from box one on September 5 while Major Mcgraw has been placed in each of two appearances at headquarters.

"There is nothing between my pair as far as ability goes but Devious is desperate for an inside box so Major Mcgraw has a better draw,'' Mick Hardman said.

Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts is bringing six greyhounds to Wentworth Park on Thursday, three of them, Cindy Keeping (box one), Kai Bale (box two) and Ravers Army (box six) clashing in the 520m Free-For-All.

Roberts' partner Shayne Stiff said: "Cindy Keeping has won five at Wentworth Park and has box one so she is obviously our best chance.

"Having said that, we are not over-confident she can beat Tulsi Banner, this year's Peter Mosman Opal winner.

"Kai Bale and Ravers Army are being prepared for next month's Masters Meteor series so they should be better off racing against other veterans.

"But Kai Bale is well drawn near the rails and is a marvellous old dog.

"Since Tim Aloisi and Charmaine bought him he has earned $50,000 and he had amassed $200,000 before that.

"Charmaine has a big opinion of Sooty Keeping, who has box five in Thursday's The Lids Fly On Ladbrokes Live Stakes."

Sooty Keeping winning at Richmond


"But she is going to Wenty without having seen the track, and the same applies to another of our dogs, Ben Keeping, who has box one in the Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes.

"Chuck Keeping, who will represent us in Thursday's Ladbrokes Own Spring Stakes, has won twice at Wentworth Park and is absolutely flying at the moment.

"Box seven is his hang-up because he would be much better suited drawn closer to the fence.''

Chuck Keeping's rivals include prolific big race finalist Has Ability, who is resuming after a break of nearly five months.

Trainer Stuart Hazlett said: "Although he is coming back from a long spell Has Ability is going as well as, if not better than ever.

"After a couple of trials at Goulburn I gave him a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park last week and he went super.''

Best Bet Ayden's Warrior (race 9)
Best Value Sooty Keeping (race 5)

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