Jason Magri is set to cap his most successful 12 months as a trainer since 2001 by winning with Zipping Osti at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night.
In 2020 Magri produced 104 winners and 84 placegetters but by Christmas Day this year he had matched that winning total as well as registering 113 placings.
Zipping Osti made his Wentworth Park debut on November 30 and after being slowly away from box five, finished strongly to beat all but Lady Divine in a 520m fifth grade.
The dog resumes from box two in Wednesday's Ladbroke It! Stakes, another 520m fifth grade, and although Zipping Osti has not raced for a month Magri said he is ready to win.
"He is well boxed near the rails and has been trialling well in preparation for Wednesday's race,'' Magri said.
"I think he has improved a bit since his November 30 run at Wenty so I really like his chances this week.''
Magri can land a double at Wentworth Park as he has his versatile sprinter/stayer Zipping Kansas in a 520m Free-For-All.
Zipping Kansas (pictured) surprised by beginning fast and leading from the first turn to win in a slick 29.81 at Wentworth Park on November 30 but he had box two in that event and has drawn five on Wednesday.
He faces stern opposition from Fernando Hunter (box three) and Coast Model (box seven), who are each capable of being ahead of him on the back straight.
Fernando Hunter was a fast finishing second behind Coast Model at Wentworth Park last Wednesday but trainer Michelle Sultana believes he could be improved by that run and will be hard to toss this week.
"He probably needed last week's hit-out because that was his first 520m race since July,'' Sultana said.
While Zipping Osti shapes up as Wednesday's best bet, the best value runner looks to be McEntire, who has box three in the 720m Ladbrokes Mates Mode Mixed Stakes.
McEntire resumed from a long spell with a fast finishing second over 622m at Richmond on December 18 and on times over the Wentworth Park 720m trip she has "a minute" on her Wednesday rivals.
McEntire clocked a slick 42.23 at Wentworth Park WP on May 4 while her only opponent to break 43sec is Belle Intention, who recorded 42.86 - around 10 lengths slower - on November 5.
Grante Andersen, trainer of McEntire, said: "After she finished fourth at Wentworth Park on May 25 she hurt her toe and came in season so she has been out of action for a long time.
"Her chances on Wednesday depend on whether she can get into a good spot in the early stages as she can be inclined to get a long way back.
"I would like to see her find a reasonably forward position because this will be McEntire's first 720m run in over seven months and she might be slightly under-done.''
Fernando Hunter's trainer Michelle Sultana could finish Wednesday's meeting on a winning note with Aston Ulysses set to start favourite in the 520m Masters Stakes.
Aston Ulysses finished too strongly for pacemaker Zipper Rogue to win by six lengths in a nippy 30.02 at his first Wentworth Park 520m test on December 17 and tackles similar opposition this week.
"He had box one when he won at his last start but I don't think box seven on Wednesday will worry him,'' Sultana said.
"Paul Abela, who trained Aston Ulysses when he raced in Victoria until October, always reckoned the dog was better suited drawn wide.''
Darkseid was unlucky when second to Double Baroque at Wentworth Park last Wednesday and gets his chance despite drawing box four in Wednesday night's winningedgeinvestments.com Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
"He just couldn't get a run underneath the leaders on the back straight last week,'' trainer Mark Davidson said.
"Darkseid is a handy dog and is a good chaser but he is a bad box dog so is always going to need luck, especially in the early stages.''
