Power And Glory's trainer Ken Burnett has taken the blame for the shock defeat of Sydney's canine excitement machine at Brisbane's Lakeside Q circuit last Saturday night.
Power And Glory will be back at Wentworth Park on Saturday in the Mark Hughes Foundation top grade 520m event after being beaten two lengths into fifth place in last week's Lakeside Cup heat.
"He cramped up in the Brisbane race and in hindsight it was my fault,'' Burnett said.
"I had trialled him there on the previous Tuesday and Power And Glory broke the track record, clocking 24.93, yet in the Cup heat the winner recorded 25.60.
"Travelling up from Sydney for the trial and then backing up for a race four nights later was too much for him.
"But he pulled up well and although he has a tricky box three draw at Wenty on Saturday he will be all right so long as he can 'possie' up going through the first turn.''
Power And Glory's best Wentworth Park time of 29.15 is .29sec faster than the quickest figures posted by Saturday's rivals Boston Banner and Taormina but he would be better suited drawn wide.
And Burnett concedes there is "a stack of early pace" among his dog's opponents, with Ali Tango, Boston Banner, Tulsi Banner, Taormina, My Monroe and Ferrero Girl all capable of running 5.44 or better to the first mark.
Zadie Bale's fourth to Ali Tango in a top grade race at Wentworth Park last Saturday night was a great pointer to her appearance in this week's far easier Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Masters Stakes, 520m.
Trainer Ike McCorkindale said: "Her run last week was terrific because she had box five and got 'cleaned up' at the start.
"Going down the back straight, Zadie Bale was giving the leaders eight or 10 lengths' start yet she finished just two lengths behind the winner, Ali Tango.
"And I reckon she lost a length-and-a-half when the boxes opened.
"Having said that there is a fair bit of early pace among her opponents this Saturday so she is likely to be back in the field soon after the start.
"That's why she is still going to need a reasonably clear run to win.''
Laura Keeping broke the race record when she won this year's Group One Ladbrokes National Futurity so she looks well placed in Saturday's Sponsor a Race @ Wenty Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
She resumed from spell in a heat of the Brother Fox Cup at Dubbo last Saturday and after being third early wound up fifth, eight lengths from the winner, Gets Late Early.
Trainer Jay Opetaia said: "Laura Keeping went into the Dubbo race short of a run and just ran out of steam over the concluding stages.
"On top of that she didn't handle the track to well because she had not seen a lot of the Dubbo circuit.
"Saturday's race at Wentworth Park does looks winnable for a bitch of her class.''
Best bet on Saturday night looms as Mark To Market, who has box four in the Ladbrokes Fast Withdrawals fifth grade over 520m.
Although drawn awkwardly, Mark To Market's best first split time of 5.35 and quickest overall figures of 29.73 are superior to those of any of his opponents on Saturday.
The Darryl Thomas-trained dog has become one of the most reliable beginners in training, and should only need to step away as he normally does to lead around the first turn and notch his sixth Wentworth Park win in 11 appearances.
Mark To Market
Another fast starter set to win at Wentworth Park on Saturday is the Shannon Boyd-trained Casari, who has box one in the 520m fifth grade Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes.
Boxes matter little to Casari who is close to being a foolproof beginner, and although she has been run down by stronger rivals when placed in three recent Wentworth Park outings, she boasts the best Wentworth Park 520m time of 29.88 in this week's race.
And her best first split of 5.34 is clearly the quickest among Saturday's lineup.
