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Perfect Draw For A Big Night
Perfect Draw For A Big Night By Jeff Collerson Night Tracker has had two wins and three placings from nine Wentworth Park appearances but has not been drawn so suitably as he is at headquarters on Saturday night. The Syd Swain-trained dog has box two in the 520m Ladbrokes Switch Stakes, marking the first time he has been closer to the fence than box three. Interestingly Night Tracker has worn the white vest just once and that was when he won a 520m Maiden Final at Wentworth Park in September, clocking a nippy 30.11s. Night Tracker had box eight at his most recent start when he overcame a slow start to win over 535m at Richmond on October 23. "I was pleased with his Richmond run because he didn't get on the track until he reached the fence at the top of the straight,'' Syd Swain said. "He is power-laden at the finish but lacks early zip and that caused him to get dragged down at the first turn when he finished third at Wentworth Park on October 17. "That was a terrific run because Night Tracker was giving the leader a dozen length coming to the home turn and was beaten just under three lengths. "While Night Tracker's best Wenty figures are 30.11 he has got under 30s in a 520m trial there so he has the ability to put time on the clock.'' Chrissie Banner returns to Wentworth Park in Saturday's Where Else But Wenty Stakes for the first time since being beaten a neck when favourite in the Young Star Classic on October 16. Before that race Chrissie Banner had won four of her seven Wentworth Park races but in the Classic she led early before being headed at the first turn by the speedster Rapallo. Rapallo got away with a clear lead in the middle stages before Chrissie Banner rallied late and went down in a tight finish. Chrissie Banner was a long odds-on favourite at LADBROKES GARDENS last week but lost all chance when skittled by a wide runner at the first turn. "I was happy with her run at The Gardens because she was last in a field of six on the back straight and showed a lot of character to get up and run third,'' trainer Barry Gibbons said. "She has box four on Saturday night and I prefer seeing her a couple of boxes off the rails because Chrissie Banner likes to be in the middle of the track.'' Gibbons though is in awe of rival, the Peter Sims-trained Second Exit, who scored a sensational win over 600m at LADBROKES GARDENS last week and who is ideally positioned in box eight. "There was a massive burst of rain just before Second Exit's race last week but she not only beat my good bitch Lilly Banner by nearly 10 lengths, but she clocked a smart 34.53 in the process,'' Gibbons said. "After watching that I believe Chrissie Banner will need to pinch a big early break because if Second Exit is hunting our bitch on the back straight she will probably be too strong.'' Trainer Jodie Lord's kennelmates Ritza Donald and Winlock On Top will reprise their thrilling battle from last week's Wentworth Park Free-For-All when they clash again in Saturday's Happy Halloween Stakes. Last week Ritza Donald jumped in front from box five but was quickly tackled by Winlock On Top, who had missed the jump from box two, and they controlled first and second placings throughout the race. At the finish Ritza Donald prevailed by a head in a fast 29.86, not far outside the best times he and Winlock On Top have recorded at Wentworth Park. On Saturday Ritza Donald has the advantage of box one but Winlock On Top, who has box eight, can handle a wide draw and could reverse last week's placings if he begins cleanly. Ritza Donald has won four of his five starts from the rails alley while Winlock On Top's record from box eight is two wins from four outings. Best Bet Flying Ricciardo (race 7) Best Value Night Tracker (race 2) Quaddie race 5 - 8, 1 Race 6 - 8, 6, 4 Race 7 - 6, 8, 5 Race 8 - 6, 1, 3 $20 for 37.03% Story Origin can be viewed at https://worldgreyhoundorganisation.com/Enthusiasts/News/UploadLatestNews?id=f8c33b42-2d9a-423c-63e2-08d86ee129d6
Million Dollar Chase
Ricciardo To Fly Off The Grid By Jeff Collerson Early speed wins big races so it is hard to go past the Kristy Sultana-trained Flying Ricciardo in Friday night's TAB Million Dollar Chase. Although favourite Shadow Mist clocked an opening section of 5.40 in his all-the-way heat win from box six, Flying Ricciardo has got under 5.50 in each of his four Wentworth Park outings. At his Wenty debut on August 8 Flying Ricciardo reeled off a first split of 5.43 before winning in 29.96 and recorded 5.40 on his way to his 29.73 victory on August 13. Before winning in 29.74 on September 30 Flying Ricciardo recorded an initial section of 5.44 and clocked 5.43 in last week's 29.71 semi-final win. Shadow Mist has posted reliably quick first splits too, recording 5.42 and 5.47 in solo trials at WP before last Friday's win, but can he show the same zip from box one as he did when he "came out running'' in his semi? If there was any doubt about his tenacity Flying Ricciardo's grit was there for all to see last Friday when he prevailed by a nose after a neck-and-neck battle with outstanding Victorian Faithy Bale from start to finish. Tommy Shelby's 29.58 win in the fastest of the eight semi-finals was a remarkable performance as he collided with Hammer Down when the lids lifted. But the WA star is a keen railer and will need to "ping the lids'' if he is to get across from box eight in the final. Tommy Shelby has won three of his four races from box eight but as a leading Sydney trainer pointed out to me this week: "It's one thing to do that in races in Perth but it's likely to be a different proposition in a Million Dollar Chase final.'' Sunset Bourbski was beaten just under four lengths by Here's Tears in her heat but part-owner Ross Davidson believes she can reverse the placings in Friday night's final of the group 1 Sydney Cup. Here's Tears took the lead at the catching pen before winning his heat in 42.16, fastest of the three 720m qualifiers, while Sunset Bourbski came from fourth on the back straight. Sunset Bourbski was having her first race since winning over 725m at The Meadows on September 16 and in hindsight she might have needed the run,'' Davidson said of his Andrea Dailly-trained star. "In her final trial before the Cup heats Sunset Bourbski clocked 30.64 over 545m at Ballarat, which is not far outside the record, while her run home time was a virtually unheard of 14.16. "She was kept wide all the way around in her heat yet her run home time last Friday was actually better than when she won in 42.20 over 720m at Wenty in June. "Sunset Bourbski has the perfect draw on Friday and we don't need any good luck, we just don't want any of the bad kind.'' Sunburnt Highway looks the dog to beat in Friday night's other $100,000 to the winner event, the Masters Meteor, although his heat time of 29.91 was matched by his arch rival Nangar Kash. "Sunburnt Highway has box five but he always goes straight after he jumps from the boxes so it never really matters what box he draws,'' trainer Judith Richardson said. "I would dearly love to win this race, not for the money, but as reward for the time and dedication my husband John has devoted to our greyhounds for the past 50 years.'' Nangar Kash seems well placed in box seven but after the draw trainer Mick Hardman declared: "My dog badly needed to be boxed inside Sunburnt Highway.'' Best Bet Chrome (race 4) Best Value Ice Cream Story (race 2) Quaddie race 5 - 2, 4, 3 race 6 - 5, 7 Race 7 - 7, 1, 3 Race 8 - 2, 6, 4 $20 for 37.03% For full story please visit: https://www.thedogs.com.au/news/2020-10-15/ricciardo-to-fly-off-the-grid
