Zipper On Time, the first offspring to race sired by former brilliant speedster Clock Off, won first-up at Wentworth Park last Thursday night and will be chasing her fourth win in five starts when she tackles Thursday night's Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes at the headquarters.
Last week Zipper On Time began cleanly from box one and wasn't headed, holding off a late challenge from Fearless Bandit to win her 520m fifth grade in a flying 29.61, best time of the night.
Robert Howard, whose wife Natina trains Zipper On Time, said: "We don't think box six will worry her on Thursday as she runs pretty straight and she has a vacant box on her left.''
While most breeders flock to proven, big name stud dogs, the Howards are pinning much of their faith in their own dog Clock Off as a sire.
No wonder, as Clock Off's winning times include 22.08 Bulli and 22.27 Maitland short course wins, a flying 24.83 performance over 450m at Maitland and a sizzling 17.47 effort over 324m up the straight at Richmond.
Howard points out that Clock Off, a son of Ando's Mac, was no exceptional 'fluke' as he is a litter brother to Billy Dance's dog Ibrox Wildfire, whose 14 wins and $107,000 earnings included a 29.55 performance at Wentworth Park.
Clock Off
The progeny of Clock Off's dam Mayfair Miss have amassed $700,000 in prizemoney and Howard explained: "Clock Off's only Wentworth Park appearance resulted in a third placing to Good Odds Cash in a semi-final of the 2022 Million Dollar Chase.
"Due to him being plagued by injuries, we decided to keep Clock Off racing on one-turn and straight tracks rather than risk sending him around two-turn courses like Wentworth Park.''
Zipper On Time is by Clock Off from the Howards' bitch Zipper Sky, a winner of four from just 12 starts and a daughter of the champion sire Bernardo.
Robert Howard said: "Zipping On Time is from Clock Off's first litter, while he has since sired two litters, one from Tina Went Wrong, a winner of 14 races, and the other out of Zip Out Zipper, whose 26 wins included the Richmond Cannonball final.''
Zipper On Time
Meanwhile the Howards' albino greyhound, Migaloo, who clocked a slick 29.80 winning a 520m maiden race at Wentworth Park on August 28, will be back in action shortly.
Migaloo
The remarkable Migaloo, who is totally deaf, has become something of a social media sensation, acquiring over 2000 followers.
"We are getting him ready a restricted wins 520m race at Wenty in a couple of weeks,'' Robert Howard said.
