TRACK specialist Zipping Orlando has not raced or trialled for five weeks but remains ready to notch his eighth win in 11 Wentworth Park appearances in Friday night's third heat of the Ladbrokes National Derby.
Zipping Orlando, whose personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.53 are clearly the quickest in the eight dog field, won at Wentworth Park in 29.85 on December 3 before finishing down the course after finding trouble a week later.
Minnie Finn, whose husband John trains the exciting youngster, said: "Zipping Orlando has had enough work at home to be ready to go on Friday night.
"He will be on the fresh side but that won't hurt him and we like the way he is drawn.
"Box three should suit him and it looks a winnable race.''
Leading SA trainer Tony Rasmussen made the long trip across to Sydney last week and trialled his family's five National Derby and National Futurity candidates over the Wentworth Park 520m trip.
"I was happy with how they went, especially Victa Damian, who is the quickest of the greyhounds I am bringing to Sydney,'' Rasmussen said.
"Because the starting boxes in Adelaide and Melbourne have better viewing of the lure as it comes past, our dogs tend to miss the start a little when they have their first crack at Wentworth Park.
"That's why I expect all my dogs will find a couple of lengths on Friday night.
"Apart from Victa Damian, who has box five in heat five of the National Derby, I like the chances of Queen Of Scotch, who has box seven in heat one of the Ladbrokes National Futurity.
"She is well drawn out wide and is capable of pinging the lids and going straight to the lead.
"Victa Alby, who has box eight in heat two the Derby, trialled nicely at Wentworth Park but he is badly positioned on the outside.''
Sydney owners Giorgio and Tony Alvaro have won three from four races with Cruise Mode since buying her late last year and have high hopes she can win Friday night's fourth heat of the Ladbrokes National Futurity at Wentworth Park.
Cruise Mode's Victorian trainer Paul Abela said: "She trialled 30.11 at Wentworth Park on January 4 and should be able to improve on that time on Friday night, especially as she has drawn box one.
"Cruise Mode missed the kick in her trial and got a bit lost on the first turn so the experience will do her the world of good.
"Her first split was only 5.60 but on times she has clocked in Victoria she is capable of much quicker than that, especially as her run home time in her trial was good, 11.77.''
Lawless, who has box one in heat one of the Derby on Friday, will be the first runner at Wentworth Park for Bendigo hobby trainer Lee Moore.
"I ran out of time to get up there to trial him at Wenty so Lawless will go into the race cold,'' Moore said.
"But from box one he shouldn't be far away at the finish because when he draws inside he doesn't run out and when he is boxed wide he doesn't crash to the fence.
"I had planned to put Lawless in a Derby series at Warrnambool but when I noticed the Sydney race was worth $75,000 to the final winner I decided to head north.''
Bob Douglas, who trained Carlisle Jack to win the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park in 2002, will be back at Wentworth Park on Friday with his talented bitch Baby Jaycee, who has box five in heat three of the Futurity.
Baby Jaycee had not trialled at Wentworth Park when she was a luckless third, beaten less than a length, by Coast Model at Wentworth Park on December 21 before returning to Melbourne and winning easily in a sizzling 29.32 over 515m at Sandown on New Year's Day.
She should only need a clear run to win on Friday, although the consistent Mia She's Fast, well drawn in box seven, will provide plenty of opposition.
The Frank Hurst-trained Mia She's Fast has had two wins and four seconds from seven Wentworth Park appearances and was beaten in a photo finish by Punter's Bandit in the Beast Unleashed Gosford Cup final at her latest outing on January 3.
