The clash of crack Sydney-trained stayers Late Night News (pictured) and Lady Wilson, with each on trial for the NSW Distance Championship, looms as a mouth-watering highlight of Saturday night's Wentworth Park card.
They meet in the Ladbrokes Sports Bar non graded 720m event, with Lady Wilson well drawn in box two and Late Night News not badly positioned in four.
Adding spice to the race is the presence of Wincey Bale, who came from near last to win over 520m at Wentworth Park on July 19 after defeating a luckless Lady Wilson in a 720m contest there on June 7.
The NSW Distance Championship, which will decide the state representative in the National Distance Championship at Brisbane's The Q, will be run at Wentworth Park on August 14.
Lady Wilson bungled the start from box eight and was hampered mid-race when a strong finishing fourth to Firethorn - the Grafton-trained Championship hopeful - at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
Lady Wilson
Late Night News has been campaigning interstate but has a great record over 720m at Wentworth Park, boasting six wins and a third from eight starts.
His trainer Caroline Hughes said: "He will like being back on his old stomping ground on Saturday night.
"And while Lady Wilson will be hard to beat from her good box two draw, Late Night News is drawn okay because he has a vacant box on his left.
"In last Saturday's group three final at The Meadows, Late Night News missed the start and went back to last but he was coming home fast when he ran into the back of a couple of other dogs approaching the home turn.
"He just needs a clear run and have no bad luck to go close to winning on Saturday.''
Nangar Lady, who has won nine of 17 appearances at Wentworth Park, resumes after a spell in Saturday's Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
She has not raced for over two months but Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Nangar Lady, said: "She is trialling well and is ready to go.
"Nangar Lady is very hard to run down when she is able to make the pace but is not as effective when she has to come from behind.''
The Lords' brilliant front-runner Taormina will be chasing a remarkable seven straight Wentworth Park wins when she contests Saturday's top grade 520m event.
Taormina clocked her personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.29 when she ran her rivals off their legs in a similar race last Saturday and is tipped to put in a repeat performance this week.
Andy Lord said: "Taormina has really worked out the Wenty boxes now which is why she keeps nailing the start.
"She always had the potential to do what she has been doing but has put it all together through maturity.''
Trainer David Smith concedes Tyketto helped his bitch Foxtrot Ethics win her heat of the Ladbrokes Bitches Series at Wentworth Park last Saturday but believes that greyhound could bring her unstuck in this week's final.
"Last week Tyketto had box seven and Foxtrot Ethics had eight, and when Tyketto veered hard left as the boxes opened, she presented the race to my bitch,'' Smith said.
"But in this Saturday's final Tyketto has box five and we have drawn four, so I'll be hoping for the best when the boxes open.''
Smith's short course speedster Shrewd Ethics, who has won 11 of 31 races, makes her Wentworth Park 520m debut in Saturday's True Colours Pet Food Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Shrewd Ethics looks nicely positioned in box eight and Smith is confident she will see out the 520m trip.
"I trialled her over 520m after the last race at Wentworth Park last week and Shrewd Ethics clocked 30.25 on a slow track, running home in 12.10,'' Smith said.
"So with that run under her belt I expect her to run a good race on Saturday night.''
