Trainer Andrew Rowe has nominated Best Surprise ahead of her kennelmates Taw Galaxy and Taw Major as the top prospect of his champion brood bitch Wayang Angel's three offspring racing at Wentworth Park on Thursday night.
Best Surprise has box one in the Mark Hughes Foundation 1-3 wins fifth grade, Taw Galaxy has drawn eight in the identical grade Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes, while Taw Major, a winner of four from six Wentworth Park starts, will exit box eight in the Ladbrokes Blackbook fifth grade.
"But while there is not much between the three of them, Taw Galaxy is probably the quickest.
"He will handle box eight okay too but his problem is he is not a good beginner.
"If he happened to nail the start though, Taw Galaxy is capable of clocking 5.40 or 5.45 to the first turn and he is a good chaser who is strong at the finish.
"Taw Major had no luck at all when sixth from box six at Wentworth Park last Saturday, he had a bumping duel with the winner, Slick Felix, all the way to the first turn.
"He is a good box dog but can only run around 5.50 to the first mark and he is not well drawn.
"These three are still learning, they don't turn two until next month, and I intend nursing them through the winter, expecting them to be top class by the spring.''
Taw Galaxy and Andrew Rowe after the Magic Maiden earlier in the year.
Forged Iron, a heavily backed $2.50 favourite at his Wentworth Park debut last Saturday night, looks well boxed in one in Taw Galaxy's race on Thursday.
Forged Iron was having his first start for trainer Mark Gatt and after missing the jump, he showed great pace to lead from the catching pen to the home bend.
He tired in the straight to finish third, beaten seven lengths by the winner Cawbourne Slick.
Although he has box one on Thursday, Mark Gatt said: "Forged Iron is not yet very strong at the end of 520m.
"Before his race last Saturday he only clocked 24.50 in a post-to-post slip and that is nothing flash.
"Only reason he firmed so sharply in the betting was because the first price that went up for him was $9, which was way over the odds for a dog who has won over 400m at Maitland in 22.29.
"Forged Iron possesses very good early pace so I just hope he can strengthen up in the weeks ahead.''
This Is Why, unbeaten in two races at Dapto and Wentworth Park, went well in a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park on Monday night and trainer Shaun Evans is not concerned about his box eight draw in Thursday's Ladbrokes Same Race Multi 1-3 win fifth grade.
"This Is Why has had box seven in each of his races but while I can't wait to see him in box one or two, box eight should be okay on Thursday,'' Evans said.
"At least from there he won't get chopped off in the run to the first turn.''
Evans also has This Is Why's litter sister Unrequited in box eight in Thursday's Mark Hughes Foundation Stakes but while she is perfectly drawn he is not confident about her prospects.
"Unrequited is such a wide runner she is mad for an outside box but she is nowhere near as quick as This Is Why,'' he said.
Slick Felix has a poor record from wide draws but on times posted in the heats the Shane Pulbrook-trained dog has the equivalent of five lengths on his nearest rival in Thursday's Gosford to Wentworth Park fifth grade final.
Slick Felix has box seven and has been placed in just two of five starts wearing the black rug, with each of his seven wins recorded from boxes one to four.
She overcame a slow start from box one to win in 30.22 at Wentworth Park on May 22 before having to work hard to reach the lead when narrowly beaten by noted powerful finisher Zipping Hasler, after coming from box four, at WP on Saturday night.
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