Can O'keefe Make Most Of Christmas Cherry?

17:00 25 December 2025
GRNSW News
WYNDRA All Heart has easily the best WP record in Saturday night's Merry Christmas from Wenty Park Stakes but will exit an inside draw for the first time in 11 starts.

Wyndra All Heart will wear the red rug in the 520m fifth grade event and has a reputation of being a middle to wide runner after scoring his three city wins from boxes four, five and six.

Not only has the dog not previously drawn box one, but he has not drawn closer to the rails than box four.

Trainer Mark Gatt believes Wyndra All Heart will handle the rails alley providing he has room to move by the time he reaches the back straight.

"In preferred box draw races I have wanted him drawn in the middle because when he gets to the back straight he gets so wide he almost hits the outside fence,'' Gatt said.

"But from the starting boxes Wyndra All Heart runs pretty straight so I'm hopeful he be able to get where he likes to race by the time he reaches the back straight.''

Another greyhound who is a stranger to box one at WP is O'Keefe, who clocked a sizzling 29.58 in an all-the-way win from box six at WP on December 18.

But while O'Keefe's two WP wins, the previous being in 29.83 from box eight, have been from wide draws, trainer Ray Webster is happy seeing him in box one in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Mates Mode Pots Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.


Although he has acquired a reputation of being suited drawn off the track, O'Keefe is undefeated in three starts wearing the red rug.

He clocked a sizzling 22.19 over 400m at Bulli in October, won over 340m there on September 16 and also had box one when he won in a slick 24.49 over 440m at Goulburn on December 12.

Although those wins were on bigger tracks than WP, Ray Webster said: "O'Keefe's win at Goulburn was particularly good because from box one at the 440m start there a dog virtually has to step to the right immediately to avoid being chopped off.

"A few people were surprised when O'Keefe clocked 29.58 at his last start at WP but I expected him to run that sort of time sooner or later.


"I have always had a big opinion of O'Keefe but although he turned two in August he has had only 17 races.

"That's because he hurt a stopper tendon in a heat of the Ultra Sense series at WP in early April and was sidelined for five months.

"I was concerned at one stage about whether O'Keefe would ever get back to the racetrack but after leaving him out in the paddock for a few months he really came good.

"His chances on Saturday possibly hinge on whether he can clear Little Granny, who has box two, in the run to the first turn.

"From what I've seen of Little Granny she can jump smartly and show good early pace.''

Nobody could accuse trainer Garry Coles of dragging his heels in getting his grand campaigner Still Available into Masters races.

The dog became eligible for this class on Boxing Day and will exit box six in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Sports Bar Masters, a 520m event for first, second and third graders.

Still Available has won 15 of his 20 race wins at WP where he boasts a smart personal best time of 29.58.

"I've been really looking forward to getting Still Available away from competing against much younger dogs because these days he is about two-tenths of a second slower than the fastest of them,'' Garry Coles said.

"If he nails the jump he is capable of leading all the way on Saturday but he doesn't often get the start exactly right.


"Since he was unplaced in a third and fourth grade at WP last Saturday Still Available has been kept on the lead, I've just kept him fit with plenty of swimming.

"He thrives on that and when he goes into a race after a week of swimming he usually shows good early pace.

"But although this is a Masters race it won't be easy, especially with a great old dog like Father Rick in the field.''

Best Bet: Wyndra All Heart (race 2)

Best Value: Still Available (race 4)

Quaddie 
Race 5 - 2, 1, 4
Race 6 - 2, 1, 7
Race 7 - 3, 1, 5
Race 8 - 5, 6
$20 for 37.03%