GYPSY Ibrox launched her career with a sizzling 29.21 maiden win on debut at The Gardens and trainer Billy Dance is hopeful she has regained that form as she prepares to tackle Saturday night's Gosford meeting.
Gypsy Ibrox has box one in the 515m fifth grade Staff Appreciation Stakes and Dance is feeling upbeat following a smart trial by his bitch at Maitland on Wednesday.
"She won four of her first five races with two wins and a second from three Wentworth Park starts but then she went off the boil for a while.” Dance said.
"I don't know whether she took a dislike to Wentworth Park but her win at The Gardens at her most recent start on October 16 was good.”
"She was turned side-on at the first turn and still won in the best time of the meeting.:”
"Then I gave her a slip at Maitland on Wednesday morning and she flew.”
"On Saturday she needs to clear Shadow Assassin, who has box two, because Gypsy Ibrox will run straight, she won't hug the rail.''
Jet Boots Tommy acquitted himself well during the recent Masters Meteor series at Wentworth Park and drops sharply in class in Saturday night's Farrells 4x2 Biscuits Masters over 515m at Gosford.
"It's a pity he has box eight because he is a mad railer but even so, Jet Boots Tommy has shown he can handle the outside draw.” trainer Michael Edwards said.
"In eight starts from box eight he has had a win and six placings.”
"Jet Boots Tommy has not raced over the 515m trip at Gosford but has been around the track in 388m races and trials heaps of times so he will be okay on Saturday.”
"Jet Boots Tommy has not been to Gosford for a fair while but he never forgets a place and had not been to Wentworth Park for five months when he won there on September 12.”
"He will be five years old in two weeks and is the oldest dog in Saturday's race but is going as well as ever.”
Extreme Machine faces his toughest test in Saturday's Simply Limelight 520m fifth grade, but trainer John Thomas believes his dog possesses the early speed to lead throughout.
"When he won by nearly eight lengths at his first Gosford start on September 29 Extreme Machine's first split was 4.37 and they don't go much quicker than that.” Thomas said.
"This is no easy race though because Optimism, who has box seven, won in 29.56 over 520m at Richmond on October 7 and that is flying.”
"But she is trained at Richmond so Gosford could be a bit tougher for her.”
"Extreme Machine just needs to be able to get off box six and clear the dogs on his inside in the run to the first turn.”
Major gripe about Wentworth Park for most trainers was the absence of middle-distance races, so it's no surprise seven high-quality greyhounds have been nominated for Saturday night's 603m Mark Hughes Foundation top grade.
Only West Rock Casey has raced over the Gosford 603m journey, but Joanne has clocked fast times over 388m and 515m at the Central Coast circuit.
Joanne recorded a sizzling 29.46 leading all the way over 520m at Wentworth Park on October 3 and from box four looks positioned to be the pacemaker ahead of Ritza Sophie and Winsome Storm.
Ritza Sophie proved her ability to get more than 520m with an impressive 595m win at Sandown on August 29 while Winsome Storm has been powering home over the Wentworth Park 520m course and has had five placings in six outings from box eight, his draw on Saturday.
