The Ruth Matic-trained Poppy Jack, who has box five in the Boxing Day at Wenty Park Free-For-All over 280m tonight at Wentworth Park, looks the one to beat now following the scratching today of brilliant speedster Blue Bronte.
Blue Bronte, a litter and kennelmate to new 280m track record holder Laurie’s Flyer, was expected to be a short-priced favourite to take out the final event on the card, but her scratching opens the door wide for Poppy Jack.
Poppy Jack has won 12 of 21 races and is unbeaten in two starts since a spell, clocking near record times over 350m at Goulburn before recording a blistering 22.20 over 400m at Bulli on December 11.
In the Bulli win Poppy Jack defeated top grader Ebby Infrared, who made the pace when a close second to boom speedster Wow over 520m at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Ritza Coen, whose time of 29.75 was third fastest of the eight contestants in last Saturday's Wentworth Park Shootout series, looks a safe bet from box one in tonight's 520m Free-For-All.
Esther's Diva, who has box two, is likely to be the pacemaker but Ritza Coen should only need a clear passage early to be too strong in the run home.
Ritza Coen's trainer Mark Gatt is keen on the chances of his dog Shanjo Prince, who has box eight in the 520m Merry Christmas Sky Racing Stakes, a fourth and fifth grade.
"Shanjo Prince is trialling well but has been racing without confidence,'' Gatt said.
"This looks an easier race than what he has been up against recently and he has his favourite draw.''
Gatt has two top contenders for the 520m Roosters Traffic Control Stakes with Ritza Tommy (box four) and Crawl (box seven).
"This race is so open any of the eight runners could win and although Ritza Tommy is a quick dog he is hard to read because he tends to get back in the field while Crawl is very well suited drawn wide,'' Gatt said.
Tachycardic, who won in 30.38 at his most recent Wentworth Park outing, returns to the track in tonight's GBOTA Welcome Stakes after finishing third at Bulli on December 15.
Goggins, who was placed twice at Wentworth Park in August, gets her chance to break through in tonight's 520m Ladbrokes Back Yourself Maiden.
Goggins has not raced since September but trainer Malcolm Smart is satisfied with the way she has been trialling.
"She clocked a respectable 30.45 in a 520m trial at Wentworth Park a couple of weeks back and to top her off for this race I gave Goggins a post-to-post hand-slip last Saturday night and she recorded a handy 24.60.''
Kurios Motion boasts a fastest Wentworth Park time of 29.86 and with none of her rivals having gone quicker than 30.45 she looks the one to beat in tonight's Ladbrokes Money Back Odds Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Kurios Motion has box one and while she has not won in five appearances wearing the red rug, she looks to have a good draw tonight with the greyhounds in boxes two and three likely to get wide in the run to the first turn.
