QUEENSLAND's Jay Is Jay took out the 2023 Million Dollar Chase and on Saturday night another Queenslander, Midnight Queen, will be on trial for a start in this year's city qualifying heats of the world's most sought after event.
Midnight Queen begins her campaign for the Million Dollar Chase when she makes her Wentworth Park debut in Saturday night's The Lids Fly on Ladbrokes Live Channels Stakes.
Trained in Queensland by 18-year-old Bailey Dargusch, Midnight Queen has had eight wins and nine placings from 26 starts and trialled impressively at Wentworth Park on September 4.
She covered the 520m in a slick 29.71, just .29sec slower than the fastest race time posted that night by Supermaxi in winning a 520m fifth grade by six lengths.
Dargusch, who has been training for less than 12 months, said: "Midnight Queen railed well in her trial so I would have preferred her drawn from an inside box on Saturday night.
"But I'm not too worried about box seven, she can handle a wide draw.
"Midnight Queen just needs a bit of space to move in the run to the first turn.
"Her mission is the Million Dollar Chase qualifyings at Wentworth Park on October 4, but if that doesn't work out I will enter her for the heats of the Young Star there a week later.''
In her Wentworth Park solo trial Midnight Queen's early splits were a moderate 5.63 and 14.00, but her run home time was a powerful 11.63.
Her toughest rival on Saturday night should be Reggae Ethics, who led throughout in 29.82 at his most recent Wentworth Park outing.
Reggae Ethics has box six but has a vacant box on his left.
His trainer David Smith said: "He has won two out of three at Wenty and is improving all the time.''
Smith is upbeat about the prospects of Reggae Ethics' litter brother Calypso Ethics, who has box six in Saturday's We Stand with Tasmania Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Calypso Ethics has been runner-up in two of his five Wentworth Park outings but none of his rivals on Saturday has bettered his best Wenty figures of 29.82.
"This looks a good race for him and he is in career best form at present,'' David Smith said.
"And like his brother, he is improving all the time.''
Foxtrot Ethics and Shrewd Ethics, also members of the Out Of Range-Sassy Ethics litter which produced Reggae Ethics and Calypso Ethics, will clash in Saturday's Ladbrokes Mates Mode Pots 520m fifth grade.
"Shrewd Ethics got smashed early when last at her only WP race on August 2 but she is a reliable beginner with good early speed,'' Smith said.
"Because she has won 13 races away from Wenty she is top grade on other tracks so I have been forced to bring her back to town where she is eligible for a fifth grade.
"Her sister Foxtrot Ethics has won twice at Wentworth Park and while she is not such a good beginner and doesn't possess Shrewd Ethics' early speed, she is stronger at the end of 520m.''
Most interesting clash on Saturday looms as the meeting between Zipper On Time, winner of each of two WP outings in very quick times, and She's A Pearl's daughter She's Fearless in the Wenty Leagues 520m fifth grade.
Zipping On Time, whose 29.61 and 29.63 Wentworth Park wins have been from boxes one and six, has drawn three, while She's Fearless has box six.
She's Fearless has not raced for six weeks but Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains the greyhound, said: "She is going as well as ever.
"She pulled up sore in a hock after her Wentworth Park race on July 31 but we expect her to run a big race on Saturday and box six is good for her because she wants an outside draw.''
The Lords' top chance on Saturday night looks to be Classy Bandit, who has box two in the Ladbrokes Srm In Multis 520m fifth grade.
Taormina, who has won seven of her past eight starts at Wentworth Park, returns to her favourite track in Saturday's top grade 520m event, the Mark Hughes Foundation Stakes.
Taormina won in a tick outside track record time at Dapto on August 28 before colliding at box rise and finishing fifth in a heat of the group one Ladbrokes Megastar there a week later.
She is trained by Jodie Lord and Andy Lord said: "Taormina has not trialled anywhere since the Megastar heats but has been working as well as ever up our straight track at home.''
