RELEASE Point has been plagued by unsuitable wide draws for much of his career, but he roared home to win from box three at his most recent start and has a near perfect box two slot in Saturday night's sixth heat of the Young Star at Wentworth Park.
Release Point boasts a marvelous record from the two inside traps and has scored an astonishing eight wins from 10 races after exiting boxes one and two.
In Saturday's Young Star heat Release Point's personal best Wentworth Park figures of 29.66 are superior to the quickest times of any of his rivals and it's worth noting he posted that time from box two, his draw on Saturday.
Showman Baz has not tackled 520m for over five months but a slick box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park last Monday suggests he is ready to win Saturday's second heat of the Young Star.
Showman Baz resumed from a spell to win over 400m at Bulli in a sizzling 22.31 best time of the night on September 29 and trainer John Smart has given the dog a thorough preparation for this week.
"I gave him a box-to-box hit-out at Wenty last Monday and he went enormous.” Smart said.
"What was really pleasing was that Showman Baz railed better than he did when he was last in work.”
"After his last Wentworth Park race on July 2 Showman Baz was found to have a shoulder problem so I gave him three months off to get it 100 per cent right.”
"Hopefully he has come back better than ever.”
While Showman Baz has a reputation of being a wide runner, he should get plenty of room in the early stages of Saturday's race.
Lady Llorona, drawn outside him in box two, is among the widest runners in training so should give Showman Baz plenty of "cover" in the charge to the first turn.
Zipping Ruger's best Wentworth Park 520m figures of 29.30 make him far and away the fastest in Saturday night's fourth heat of the Young Star but trainer Jason Magri admits the dog will need luck from box eight.
Magri also has Zipper Day in box eight in Saturday's fifth Young Star heat and that dog was also unlucky at his most recent start.
Zipper Day had box eight at his Wentworth Park debut on October 1 but was severely hampered by a wide runner at the first turn and did well to finish fourth.
"He did get turned side-on at the first bend last week so should have finished closer than six lengths behind the winner.” Magri said.
"At the same time Zipper Day is no world-beater and I don't think he is capable of going any faster than 29.80 at Wentworth Park.”
Mr Nicko has been disappointing at Wentworth Park, winning just three of 17 appearances, but the Peter Lagogiane-trained dog drops sharply in class in Saturday night's Geoff Rose Hall of Fame Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
But the dog has been runner-up seven times in his 17 Wentworth Park appearances and his best 520m time of 29.76 is unmatched by his rivals on Saturday.
On top of that, Mr Nicko's quickest first split of 5.46 is the best in the race, so he should be capable of leading all the way from his handy box two draw.
