Vista Yttrium, who was desperately unlucky not to qualify for last Friday's Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Derby final, will attempt to win at Wentworth Park on Thursday night without having seen the track.
Vista Yttrium has box two in the 520m Ladbrokes Communities Stakes, heat two of a fifth grade for dogs with one to five wins.
An unexpected error occurred.
The former Victorian sprinter, now trained in NSW by Jay Opetaia, won from box four in a fast 29.50 over 520m at Richmond on February 7 and was among the unluckiest runners when fifth, just a length from the winner Chief Lightning, after coming from box five in a Derby heat there on February 21.
Trainer Jay Opetaia said: "I prefer to give my dogs a trial at Wentworth Park before they race there but this race, for dogs with up to five wins, came up, and it was too good a chance to miss.
"Vista Yttrium has already won five times so it looked a perfect opportunity for him to go to Wenty and box two looks a good draw in a race that looks suitable.
"Coming to the home turn in his Derby heat I thought he was going to win, he seemed to be going better than the leaders.
"But then they appeared to come together and Vista Yttrium's momentum was stopped completely.''
Canya Sapphire, who made a stunning Wentworth Park debut to lead all the way last Saturday night, returns to headquarters on Thursday when she will exit box six in the Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes, a 520m fifth-grade heat for bitches.
An unexpected error occurred.
Last Saturday Canya Sapphire set up a massive early lead through reeling off dazzling first and second sections of 5.37 and 13.73, before tiring in the straight and winning by a length.
She stopped the clock at 29.78 but trainer Jason Magri said: "I am confident she will get stronger as she matures as she is still just 21 months old.
"Hopefully she will get down to 29.50 or 29.60 as she has always shown me terrific box speed.
"Although her run home time was only 11.92 last Saturday, I think the best all night was around two-tenths faster so the track was a bit 'off' for strong finishers.''
Zipping Zodiac, a brilliant all-the-way winner of the consolation final of the Robert Smith Memorial Maiden at The Gardens last Saturday, makes her Wentworth Park debut in Thursday night's Ladbrokes Hosted Pots Stakes, a 520m fifth grade for greyhounds with just one win.
An unexpected error occurred.
Zipping Zodiac's 515m time at The Gardens last Saturday was a flying 29.44, .63sec faster than Good Odds Rocky recorded winning the Robert Smith Final.
In his heat of the Smith Memorial, Zipping Zodiac bungled the start and was skittled in the middle stages before rattling home to finish third, beaten five lengths, by final winner Good Odds Rocky.
Trainer Minnie Finn said: "While Zipping Zodiac has not raced at Wentworth Park he went well in a couple of trials there early in his career which was late last year.''
Zipping Zodiac has box four on Thursday but with an empty box on his left he should only need to begin cleanly to score a first-up city win.
Cheeky Evie had no luck when third, from box four, to Taormina at Wentworth Park last Saturday, and should turn the tables on that greyhound in Thursday's The Lids Fly On Ladbrokes Live Stakes, a 520m fifth grade heat for bitches.
Taormina, whose best Wentworth Park time is 29.67, has box six, while Cheeky Evie, who clocked 29.61 there in winning from box one on February 13, has drawn the rails again on Thursday night.
