Shaq Keeping is three years old and has had 33 starts but has never raced better than he is going right now. The Courtney Barnes trained dog can maintain his rich vein of form by winning Saturday night's top grade Cyril Rowe Memorial over 520m at Wentworth Park. Shaq Keeping has box six but has previously shown a liking for wide draws and he was checked twice before finishing powerfully to win from box one at Wentworth Park last Saturday. While his time was a moderate 30.05 Shaq Keeping had to overcome plenty of early interference and at his previous Wentworth Park outing he gave subsequent winner Canya Handle It a big start and a beating, clocking his fastest city time of 29.47.
That win was from box seven, underlining Shaq Keeping's preference for an outside alley. Trainer Courtney Barnes said: "He has improved heaps lately” "Even in trials Shaq Keeping is going quicker than he has ever gone and so long as he begins cleanly on Saturday he should be suited by box six.''
While Shaq Keeping likes to use a bit of the track, trainer Ruth King is delighted that her runners on Saturday, Riley Dozer and Dynamic Drummer, have drawn near the rails.
Riley Dozer has box two in the Big Dog's Big Day Out 520m fifth grade while Dynamic Drummer, has the same draw in the India O'Connor Cup, another 520m grade five. Dynamic Drummer, has found early trouble while trying to cross to the rails from box seven at his two most recent Wentworth Park appearances, with his third behind Fearless Bandit and Flash Ethics at Wentworth Park on August 8, an especially meritorious performance.
Trainer Ruth King said: "My pair both badly want inside draws”
"Dynamic Drummer, especially, when he draws wide, he doesn't get up there in the early stages, he gets too far back.”
"But when he is boxed near the fence, he can usually put himself in a more prominent spot.''
Impress Moana was beaten five lengths into second place behind Dark Noise at her Wentworth Park debut last Saturday but was unlucky not to finish much closer. Impress Moana can make amends in what looks like an easier race on Saturday night, the 520m fifth grade Hilton Baker Memorial. Last week Impress Moana ran into the hindquarters of a rival as she crossed from box seven going through the catching pen and she ran home resolutely from fourth on the back straight.
"I trialed her at Wentworth Park before last week and she went pretty well.'' trainer Jason Mackay said. "She not only got checked early but was spiked during the race so her run was pretty game. "I was really happy with her second placing and from box two Saturday's looks a winnable race for Impress Moana.''
Sin City Bandit clocked her fastest Wentworth Park 720m time of 41.71 when she won from box seven on July 2 and she will wear the black rug again in Saturday night's Reginald Hurst Memorial, a top-grade long-distance race.
Sin City Bandit led throughout in her 41.71 win but came from a distant sixth with a lap to go when second to Boom Bam Ranger in the NSW National Distance Championship over the Wentworth Park 720m course on August 13.
The Jodie Lord trained bitch is improving all the time as a stayer and when she flashed home in her most recent race she still managed to post near personal best Wentworth Park figures of 41.78. She likes to find the rails so having just five rivals, with a vacant box on her left, should enable Sin City Bandit to notch her fifth 720m Wentworth Park win in 11 appearances.
