National Derby hopeful Casual Glance has "set Wentworth Park alight'' at his first 520m trial on the track.
The Woy Woy Poultry Gosford Gold Cup minor placegetter was sent over the Derby course after the final race on Saturday night and stopped the clock at 29.83, just .02sec slower than Sunburnt Highway took to win his 23rd Wentworth Park race a few minutes earlier.
Michael Lill, whose wife Michelle trains Casual Glance, said: "We are rapt in how he went considering he had only been beyond 450m in his heat of the Woy Woy Poultry Gold Cup and when he led before finishing third to Wow and Incapacitated in the 515m final.
"On Saturday Casual Glance's first split was 5.42, while he clocked 13.79 for the second section and 17.92 for the third, running home in a respectable 11.91.''
None of Saturday night's race winners came close to Casual Glance's splits, the closest being Victoria's National Futurity challenger Weblec Pearl who recorded 5.43, 13.80 and 17.95 before being run down and beaten a nose in a fifth grade by fellow Futurity candidate Ice Cream Story.
Sydney trainer Alan Proctor, who is handling Weblec Pearl's Futurity campaign for Victorian trainer Jeff Britton said: "She is renowned for her early pace but she should be improved by tonight's race.''
Casual Glance will step out for his heat of the Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park on Friday night while Weblec Pearl and Ice Cream Story lineup for heats of the Ladbrokes National Futurity on the same card.
Derby hope Weblec Jet trialled solo over 520m and clocked 29.95, recording sections of 5.56, 14.09 and 18.20 but getting home in a strong 11.75.
Futurity nominee Westar Aileen was matched against Derby dog Jepara and led to the back straight, clocking splits of 5.49 and 13.97.
Jepara swept around Westar Aileen passing the 720m boxes, recording 18.13 and covering the 520m in 30.06, just over four lengths clear of his kennelmate.
Trained at Raglan, near Bathurst, by Matt Murphy, Raglan Viper produced by far his quickest Wentworth Park 520m time of 30.06 before hanging on to win by a half length from the Marie Burton-trained Supersound.
Prior to Saturday Raglan Viper had been placed in two from five Wentworth Park races despite tackling some tough opposition, including a top grade Free-For-All when fifth on December 30.
"Early in his career Raglan Viper was not suited to my local Bathurst track so I sent him to Debbie Coleman in Victoria,'' Matt Murphy said.
"He won three races over 520m at Cranbourne and a 450m at Warrnambool for her before coming back to me as a better dog.
"Raglan Viper is a couple of tenths short of being a really good city class dog and as he is now top grade everywhere at the provincials I will tackle the ORANGE, and then in early February the Bathurst Cups, with him.''
Kim Sherd mated Grappa Girl with My Bro Fabio and the mating produced the October, 2018 whelping which included Raglan Viper and Sherd's tough stayer By Five Helen.
Although Raglan Viper is a front runner who find 520m about as far as he likes to go, his sister By Five Helen can seemingly stay forever and has had three wins and three placings over 720m at Wentworth Park, among them a smart personal best 42.32 performance.
