Aston Excalibur has not raced at Wentworth Park but two blistering trials posted there as an unraced juvenile and a flawless record from box one suggest he is the best bet at Saturday night's reopening city meeting.
The Jason Fletcher-trained Aston Excalibur will wear the red rug in the #BBWP Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and should only need to begin cleanly to win.
Aston Excalibur has won each of his two starts from box one and has recorded five wins and four placings from 10 races.
While he is making his official Wentworth Park debut on Saturday night, Aston Excalibur clocked sensational times over 520m there in late February and early March.
Fletcher was preparing the dog for the group 3 Magic Maiden and Aston Excalibur clocked 29.86s and 29.89s in his Wenty hit-outs, as well as clocking a slick 30.05s in a Dapto trial at his first public appearance.
Unfortunately Fletcher's thorough preparation was to no avail as the Magic Maiden was scrapped due to the coronavirus and Aston Excalibur has done his racing at Dapto and Richmond.
Aston Excalibur's toughest rival looms as the Ron Lambert-trained Promising, who has won at Wentworth Park in 29.90 and is a good beginner with plenty of early pace.
Promising has box two and is a keen railer who is undefeated in three starts from boxes one and two.
In-form trainer Jason Magri rates Zipping Zeek his best winning prospect at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, despite the dog drawing box four in the 520m Ladbrokes Proud Sponsors Stakes.
Zipping Zeek has not raced for two months but Magri said the dog has been trialling particularly well.
"If anything he is going a little better than he was when he won three of four Wenty races earlier in the year,'' Magri said.
"In his trials he has been coming out better than previously so hopefully he can possie up in a forward position at the first turn, even though he has box four.''
Magri also has Good Odds Buddy in Saturday's 520m Free-For-All but concedes Ebby Infrared is going to be hard to beat.
"Ebby Infrared is probably the best dog in NSW at the moment,'' Magri said.
"He looks certain to be the pacemaker but if Good Odds Buddy can sit right behind him on the back straight he has a chance of running Ebby Infrared down.''
Nangar Kash, undefeated in two Richmond 400m races since re-joining Mick Hardman's Goulburn kennels last month, will be chasing his 13th WP win in the 520m Congratulations Alan Jones Stakes, a 520m masters event.
Hardman said the dog has not been back to Wentworth Park since returning to NSW but following his Richmond 400m wins the dog has trialled well over 440m at Goulburn.
"I took him there on Wednesday and Nangar Kash clocked a smart 24.70 on a track that wasn't particularly fast,'' Hardman said.
"But with Blue Moon Rising in box six and with a vacant box inside him, Nangar Kash is going to have to do everything right.
"I'm hoping Nangar Kash can lead around the first turn but I'm a realist and reckon my dog will need to be six lengths in front of Blue Moon Rising entering the catching pen from the first turn.
"Blue Moon Rising is a marvellous warrior and is so strong at the finish.''
