Mark Gatt ventures to Dapto on Thursday with Zipping Shayne (pictured), Ritza Donna and Hudson Road engaged in successive races and each will attract a significant portion of punter's money.
Gatt, the 2018/19 Wentworth Park trainers’ premiership winner, has a strong back story with the trio having trained Zipping Shayne and Hudson Road’s sire Ritza Lenny, while he also prepared the three ‘mums’ - Sherbini, Ritza Millie and Addison Road
Mark Gatt with Ritza Millie, the dam of Ritza Donna
After enduring a significant toe injury before racing, Zipping Shayne has been nursed back by Gatt and saluted at Dapto (30.09s) and Wentworth Park (30.05s) at his past two starts when odds on.
The blue dog will again be at a very short price having drawn the rails alley in Race 3. He’s the only Wentworth Park winner in the field and is positioned to dominate from box-rise.
Zipping Shayne’s only threat appears to be the Dapto-based Skedaddle Jamie. A very good beginner, Skedaddle Jamie has, ironically, succumbed to littermates Zipping Panama, Zipping Alabama and Zipping Ontario at her past three outings at Wentworth Park and, while unrelated, Zipping Shayne appears set to continue the pattern.
At her debut, Ritza Donna dived left at the start from box two and was back to fourth mid-race before railing to lead into the straight and going on to score in 30.10s at Dapto on June 17.
Seven days later, from box one, the daughter of Orsen Allen carved out slick sections in a fast 29.69s win as a $1.40 chance. The move to box four is a concern for start three, yet her quality is writ large.
Also awkwardly positioned is Hudson Road (Race 5) yet, as a two-time winner at Wentworth Park, he’s well placed in grade five company but his task is complicated.
Hudson Road has been freshened since finishing a luckless second to Heart Lines at Wentworth Park on June 23 and, with genuine speed to the left, he will need to nail the start to prevail.
Both Hiatus (Box 2) and Under The Thumb (3) have more box speed than Hudson Road. The duo won in smart fashion over 400m at Bulli in June yet are untried at Dapto and step to 520m for the first time.
The first of 10 races at Dapto gets underway at 7.13pm AEST.
