Honk Honk got within a couple of lengths of Dalwhinnie's 29.03 track record when she won last week at Wentworth Park and trainer Tony Mason can see no reason why she cannot put in a repeat performance there on Saturday night.
Honk Honk had box seven in her all the way 29.19 520m win last Saturday and has drawn box six in this week's second heat of the Simply Limelight New Sensation series.
"I must admit I was surprised Honk Honk went as quick as she did last week although because she has been beginning well from outside boxes I truly thought she was capable of going a bit faster than her previous best Wenty time of 29.59,'' Tony Mason said.
"I was confident she could get down to 29.40-odd or maybe even the high 29.30s so the 29.19 did surprise me.
"But Honk Honk has never jumped as well as she did last Saturday and if she does that again this week there is no reason why she can't run time again.
"Certainly if she finds the front in the early stages on Saturday night I think she will win.''
Hardest for Honk Honk to beat is likely to be the Minnie Finn-trained Zipping Dekkers, who overcame an akward box eight draw to win in 29.81 on March 6 but who has drawn box one on Saturday night.
"Zipping Dekkers is perfectly boxed, she wants inside bad,'' Finn said.
"And she is a bit faster than her brother Zipping Zodiac, who has won three of his four starts and has box one in heat three of the New Sensation.
An unexpected error occurred.
"But while I have a good opinion of Zipping Dekkers, she is up against Honk Honk and if that bitch runs anywhere near the 29.19 she clocked last week my bitch probably can't beat her.''
Zipping Zodiac was a $1.70 favourite when he got up in the last stride to edge out Mr Nicko in 30.07 at WP on March 6 but displayed a lack of early pace in that win.
Finn conceded that while Zipping Zodiac was well drawn on the rails, he is already looking as if he is seeking a longer trip than 520m.
My Monroe, completely luckless when unplaced in the group 1 National Futurity final earlier this year, could be hardest for Zipping Zodiac to beat.
Trainer Sue Smith said: "My Monroe was a close second at the first turn in the Futurity but lost all chance when she was skittled by a wide runner.
"I'm pretty excited about the way this bitch is going at the moment and so long as she doesn't get 'smothered up' early, I think she will be hard to beat on Saturday night.''
My Monroe had won only two from 10 WP appearances until posting slick figures of 29.73 and 29.69 after leading virtually all the way, from boxes two and eight, on both March 1 and last Saturday.
Niino De Oro's progeny have won over $1.2m and Combatant, a member of her December, 2022 litter to Collision, can add to that tally by causing an upset in heat one of the New Sensation.
Combatant has box seven and was keen to use a bit of the track after drawing box three before a strong finishing second to Canya Sapphire at WP on March 6.
An unexpected error occurred.
He should relish his wide draw in what looks to be the weakest of the three New Sensation heats on Saturday.
Before being unplaced in his WP debut from box one on February 27, Combatant had won twice over 440m at Goulburn, easily defeating Wenty winners Cool Story and Balmoral Queen in times close to the best of the day.
Saturday night's best bet has to be Big Energy, who won both the 2023 and 2024 Group 3 Sandown Shootout but goes around at WP in the 520m Ladbrokes Sports Bar Masters Stakes.
Formerly with Kel and Jacquie Greenough in Melbourne, Big Energy, now trained in Sydney by Jodie Lord, has box one and goes into Saturday's race with massive earnings of more than $617,000.
An unexpected error occurred.
Andy Lord, the trainer's husband, said: "Big Energy has trialled 29.54 for us at WP since he got to Sydney and if he goes well on Saturday night we will put him into the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg heats on March 29.
"That's the race his owners sent him to NSW to tackle.''
