Now that the autumn carnival is done and dusted, some of the best racing in Sydney for the next few weeks will be at Wentworth Park.
The first weekend of May is when eight of the best bitches compete for the Ladies Bracelet, with four heats this Saturday night worth a 50 cent bet or two.
Not only that, but the Gold Cup is shaping up to be a classic encounter between two of the great stayers of their generation, Space Star and Sweet It Is.
Space Star pinched a handy break up the back straight last week, but I fancy that Sweet It Is may well have won the race had she not been baulked for a run early. A little bit more early speed in the race might be a problem for Space Star, so without a great deal of confidence I’m going to go her way.
Undoubtedly the rain in Sydney this week will be playing havoc with preparations. Betting in the wet is a bit different with greyhounds, it is not so much the state of the track but the state of the greyhound’s mind that can dictate how they’ll go.
We had one old dog that loved a bit of rain, he’d tear up and down the yard until he was coated in mud and dug up a track along the side of the back fence. We also had another that would firmly park herself on the couch at the slightest hint of rain, reluctantly moving only when her bladder was near breaking point.
I’ve often heard that bigger dogs tend to do better when it’s wet, but I’ve never really tested the theory. The key is to be observant when it’s really wet, and back the ones that go well when they get another chance. Unlike the horses, it’s not in the form guide, so it’s a big advantage to you if you do.
For this weekend though, I fancy the interstate dogs might have a fitness advantage, as surely some of the NSW trainers will be unable to give their charges the work they need.
It’s really hard to go past Dyna Nico, coming off a third in the Easter Egg is great form for this. I’ll also have a quinella with Elite Arena, the residual fitness coming off a few 700m races makes me sense she might run a cheeky race.
I am a big fan of Rue De Kahn, she is the way to go in the second heat. The pace on her inside means she should get in a nice position early and she’s the best of the night. Take a quinella with Lola’s entity, again I expect the Victorian form to better on Saturday night than on paper.
For the third heat My Lady Day might get a bit of room early, and that might just be enough for her to get to the front and lead all the way. Kerrigan Bale is a good chance as well, and would be my pick for the quinella.
The final heat should be a sensational race, with Spring Leaf and Chica Destacada the two big drawcards. For the moment though, I’ll be happy just to watch that one.
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