The time-honoured Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby will be contested this Saturday night at Wentworth Park.
Here’s our preview of the final, including our tip to claim the $75,000 prize:
Zipping Kristoff | Jason Magri
Breeding: Aston Rupee x Zipping Lena
Best Wentworth Park 520m Time: 29.58
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 5.47
Track & Distance Record: 2: 0-1-0
Box 1 History: 1: 0-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $4
Final Thought: Gun draw for one of the race favourites and looked to have the lead all to himself until Trio Of Clowns scratched. Now he’ll probably be on the tail of Mark To Market in the run to the first bend and I’m not sure if that suits. Was really good in the heats from Box 8 and it took a herculean effort from Jungle Johnny to run him down. He doesn’t paddle late but he certainly looks like 520m is his limit at the moment so if he’s to win, he needs to be prominent early and then hope there’s nothing on his tail at the top of the home straight. Huge chance for Jason Magri to claim one of these big races.
Zipping Kristoff with trainer Jason Magri
West Rock Casey | Caroline Hughes
Breeding: Fernando Bale x Zipping Kelly
Best Wentworth Park 520m Time: 29.85
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 5.48
Track & Distance Record: 12: 4-3-0
Box 2 History: 2: 0-1-1
Ladbrokes Price: $15
Final Thought: His Muswellbrook Cup triumph proved he’s a good dog but Group 1 level over 520m might be beyond him at the moment. He’d probably need to find three or four lengths on his heat run to figure in the finish but with a bit of early speed engaged, his best chance will be blousing them late. Does race well at Wentworth Park with four wins and three minors from a dozen starts and even if he doesn’t win, it’s still a heck of a story though with Caroline Hughes qualifying him and his brother (Late Night News) for feature finals on Saturday.
Final Thought: The lone Victorian in the race is flying under the radar a little bit considering he ran in a open age Group 1 Paul Wheeler final last month at Wenty Park. He stuffed up the start from Box 1 in that race and finished sixth behind Blue Kermaro, but a Box 3 draw in the Derby with speed drawn immediately outside could give him a great tow into the contest. The race record is 29.46 so his Wenty Park best of 29.42 is easily good enough but interestingly, no dog has won the race from Box 3 in the last 12 years. The Wheeler kennel is also still chasing an elusive Group 1 win with the ‘Paw’ prefix and Paw Oswald gives them a great chance to open the account.
Final Thought: Ointment, meet fly. This guy’s addition to the race after the scratching of Trio Of Clowns has added real intrigue to the contest. A speed demon over the first section, Mark To Market is a 5.40 sort of dog early and that should lead this field to the post for the first time. From there, if he pinches any kind of break, he could well and truly hold on to take this race out. The issue is his last 50m. He won three times in a row during December with times of 29.73, 29.84 and 29.92 but can he high ball out in front of a Group 1 National Derby field? You’ll get a sight for your money if you’re on.
Zig Zag Man | Sydney Swain
Breeding: Fernando Bale x Julia Mulwee
Best Wentworth Park 520m Time: 29.37
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 5.48
Track & Distance Record: 8: 4-2-1
Box 5 History: 1: 0-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $3.60
Final Thought: The scratching makes Zig Zag Man one of the big winners in the race. Initially, it looked as if he’d be locked with the rest of the field in the run to the first turn, but now Syd Swain will be hoping Mark To Market is off and gone and Zig Zag Man gets plenty of room to balance up and get going. If he can jump well enough, he could get a great cart across into the first bend and from there, there’s no doubt he’s one of the strongest dogs in the field. Flashed home last week after encountering all kinds of trouble in running to qualify and now looks like one of the main contenders, especially with a PB of 29.37 next to his name.
Zig Zag Man has the best track and trip PB in the Derby final
Ritza Benji | Mark Davidson
Breeding: Fernando Bale x Ritza Millie
Best Wentworth Park 520m Time: 29.74
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 5.52
Track & Distance Record: 6: 1-2-0
Box 6 History: N/A
Ladbrokes Price: $51
Final Thought: Looks a little beyond him and the box draw makes it even harder. Came out of the slowest heat and was the slowest qualifier for the final (30.08) but great to see ‘Davo’ back in another big feature race. He’d have to run every bit of his 29.74 PB to make a mark and he’s only had the one win in six efforts at Wenty Park. Showed no pace in the heats (5.73) so best hope could be missing it and falling back onto the fence and racing for luck.
Jungle Johnny | Mark Gatt
Breeding: Jungle Deuce x Springvale Carla
Best Wentworth Park 520m Time: 29.46
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 5.47
Track & Distance Record: 7: 3-2-0
Box 7 History: 2: 1-1-0
Ladbrokes Price: $3
Final Thought: Youngest dog in the field and gee his heat win was impressive. Had no real right to mow down Zipping Kristoff considering the margin he put on him up the back, but he just kept motoring all the way to the line to clock the fastest preliminary time of 29.53. Owner Johnny Maroun had him going great but the kennel change to Team Gatt seems to have worked its magic with his last two wins coming in spectacular fashion. He’s certainly one of the fastest dogs in the race but where does he get to from Box 7? Despite the nature of last week’s win, I can’t see him coming from too far back in a final like this so he needs to land in a nice spot through the first bend to be a chance.
Final Thought: Another feature final appearance for the Lord kennel and Mark Duclos, who impressively claimed back-to-back MDC Maiden’s a couple of years ago. Happy Bandit has raced almost exclusively at Wentworth Park in his 21 start career (19 at Wenty) but he’s yet to jump from Box 8 (or Box 7 for that matter) so it’s hard to know how he’ll handle the wide draw. Hasn’t been flying out (5.60, 5.50 and 5.74) in his last three starts and they say big races are hard to win from the bleachers, so with this race looking like one of the better Derby’s in recent history, Happy Bandit will need plenty of luck to feature.
Tips 5. Zig Zag Man
1. Zipping Kristoff
3. Paw Oswald
7. Jungle Johnny
Previous winners:
2024 | History’s Coming | Tom Rees
2023 | Victa Damian | Lisa Rasmussen
2022 | Slingshot Hooks | Darren Sultana
2021 | Zipping Moose | Luke Adams
2020 | Oh Mickey | Troy Donaldson
2019 | Axel Footluce | Jeff Britton
2018 | Out Of Range | Seona Thompson
2017 | Big Daddy Bee | Jack Smith
2016 | Magic Spring | Noelene Holloway
2015 | Fernando Bale | Andrea Dailly
The Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby, worth $75,000 to the winner, will go off in Race 7 on Saturday night’s program at Wentworth Park.
