BANDIT Alex will be set for the city qualifying heats of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on October 3 following his brilliant personal best time performance there on Saturday night.
Trained by Chris O'Brien for the Clover Park Syndicate, headed by fellow trainer Jodie Lord, Bandit Alex led throughout from box two to win a 520m fifth grade by seven lengths in 29.42, a massive .25sec inside his previous best figures.
After the race trainer O'Brien said "That fast time didn't surprise me because I always knew this dog had that in him.”
"It was just a matter of him getting to an early lead and being on the rails because he just loves the fence.”
"I'm glad he was able to get away so fast because at the first turn he just managed to clear Maybe Next Week, who had drawn inside my dog and ran very wide on the bend.''
Past Tense had been beaten at his past three starts at Taree, yet was able to come out and easily win a 520m fifth grade on Saturday in 29.79.
Trainer Nathan Goodwin said later "How about that? He gets beaten three times in a row at Taree and then comes out and wins in good time at Wenty.”
"Past Tense just won't leave the rail and I was worried coming to the home turn when he was trailing the pacemaker Gretzky who was clinging to the inside.”
"Luckily for us Gretzky drifted off the rail slightly as he turned for home and when he did Past Tense grabbed the inside run and came away to win.”
"It's probably flying a bit high for him, but I think I might as well nominate Past Tense for the city qualifiers of the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on October 3.”
Llandilo trainer Tony Messina's friendship with group one winning Victorian trainer David Geall resulted in him acquiring Major Impact, who scored his first Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.
After being fourth away, Major Impact pushed between rivals to lead at the first turn and hung on strongly to win by a length from the Nathan Goodwin-trained Sparkling Wheels.
Tony Messina said later "Major Impact's owner Dennis Fraser works for David Geall, the trainer of the 2018 Golden Easter Egg winner Up Hill Jill, and when he was looking to send Major Impact to Sydney, David recommended the dog come to me.”
"Tonight I raced Major Impact with a single blinker on his right-hand side to try and stop him running too wide and it seemed to work.”
On Saturday night Sin City Bandit ran a slashing trial for the $50,000 winner Group Two Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park on October 16 when she eclipsed a strong field and reeled off her fastest 720m time.
The Jodie Lord-trained bitch led all the way in 41.56, clearly her best Wentworth Park 720m figures and a success which took her tally over that course to seven wins and three placings from 13 appearances.
Sin City Bandit was expected to face stiff opposition from well performed Victorian stayers Mepunga Lara and Amron Toy but they finished out of a place.
Amron Toy looked unlucky however as the Brett Bravo-trained dog was moving into a prominent third position rounding the first turn when he collided heavily and almost fell.
Saturday's top grade 520m event was taken out by warm favourite Winsome Storm, who staged yet another last-to-first performance, eventually coming away to beat Radiant Ethics by three-quarters of a length in 29.86.
David Smith, trainer of Radiant Ethics, had another successful night as he landed a winning double with Shirley Ethics in a flying 29.50 and Monsoon Ethics, who led throughout in 29.78.
My Pharaoh will be eligible for Masters races in mid-December and showed he will be a strong force in those events by notching his 11th Wentworth Park 520m win on Saturday night.
The Sue Smith owned, trained and bred My Pharaoh led throughout and comfortably held off a solid finish from Billy Ray's Girl to win by a length in 29.69.
