Donna Maree Sweet In Seven

There is not a wider runner racing at Wentworth Park than Donna Maree so it's not surprising her trainer Ken Gorry is delighted at seeing her in box seven there on Saturday night.

Donna Maree will wear the black rug in the opening event, the 520m fifth grade NSW GBOTA Welcome Stakes, and has a great chance of enhancing her Wentworth Park record of two wins and five placings from 11 starts.

She has not raced since finishing strongly alongside the outside fence for a second placing behind Nola Keeping at Wentworth Park on August 9.

But Gorry said: "She is ready to go on Saturday.

"I gave her a trial at Appin last Saturday and her run home time was terrific, and then I gave her a nice blow-out 300m hit-out at Richmond on Wednesday.''

Donna Maree has recorded her two most impressive Wentworth Park performances from wide draws, reeling off a first split of 5.40 from box eight in September, 2024, a month after clocking her overall personal best time of 29.78 from box seven.

Spritely Sian had not seen Wentworth Park prior to her fading second behind Vista Yttrium last Saturday night and she should improve sufficiently to lead all the way on Saturday night.

Spritely Sian has box five in the fourth grade Mark Hughes Foundation Stakes over 520m and Joe McFadyen, the Victorian bitch's caretaker trainer in NSW said: "They will need to get their skates on if they want to stick with her in the early stages.

"She recently trialled brilliantly at Maitland and although she raced well in the Grafton Cup series and at Taree over the past couple of months she is not really suited by the silent lures at those tracks.

"Spritely Sian has qualified for the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals and after Saturday night her goals will be the Black Top at The Gardens later this month and then the big one, the MDC at Wentworth Park.''

McFadyen could win a double on Saturday as he is rapt at having Screeching in box one in the 520m fifth grade Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes.

Screeching resumed from a short break with a seventh, from box seven, at Wentworth Park last week, but McFadyen believes that run can be discarded.

"It was completely out of character for him, he missed the jump and then just never got into the event,'' the trainer said.

"But from box one I think he will run a great race and with a clean start and a clear run he is capable of getting down near the 29.70 mark.''

Another trainer with two bright prospects on Saturday is Andrew Katalinic, who has Wentworth Park newcomer Mickayla Swift in box four in the Ladbrokes 1-4 wins fifth grade 720m event and King Harada drawn on the rails in the Ladbrokes Odds Surge final over 520m.

Mickayla Swift is a former Victorian who is a half sister to the champion stayer Valpolicella, a dual Greyhound of the Year award winner.

At her only start for Katalinic, Mickayla Swift was a certainty beaten when a fast finishing second over 600m at Ladbrokes Gardens on August 16.

She drew box two but after being hampered at box rise when the greyhound in box one moved away from the rails, she was skittled with a lap to go.

"Hers was a big run at The Gardens because she gave the leaders a dozen lengths at one stage and was beaten three lengths,'' Katalinic said.

"She has had a couple of trials at Wentworth Park so I'm hopeful of her chances on Saturday.''

Mickayla Swift's kennelmate King Harada has box one and Katalinic said: "That's where he wants to be drawn.

"In the heats he gave fastest qualifier Forged Iron a big start and ran him to a length-and-a-half, running home in 11.64.

"King Harada just needs clear air, he only has to avoid interference to go awfully close to landing his fifth race at Wentworth Park.''

Best Bet Donna Maree (race 1)

Best Value Screeching (race 3)

Race 5 - 4, 1

Race 6 - 5, 7, 1

Race 7 - 3, 1, 7

Race 8 - 1, 3

$20 for 55.55%