He has only had his public trainer’s licence for a matter of months, but Luke Adams has both favourites for next Saturday’s Group 1 features, the Ladbrokes National Futurity and the Ladbrokes National Derby, following two brilliant performances in Friday night’s heats.
On the back of a flying 5.38s first section, his bitch Zipping Sapporo led her rivals a merry dance from box rise, clocking a brilliant 29.61s, the fastest figures of not only the three heats of the Futurity but also quicker than the fastest time run in the seven heats of the ‘boys’ event, the Derby.
And again that Derby best time belonged to a runner from the Adams’ kennel, with Zipping Moose - a brother of Zipping Sapporo - clocking 29.71s in an equally impressive performance.
Zipping Sapporo improved her record to six wins from eight starts with the victory on Friday, and then drew the same box as she had in the heat - the three – in next Saturday’s $75,000 the winner final.
But despite her blistering first split in the heats, she won’t have things all her own way in the charge to the first turn with Me Me Mia, who clocked 5.40s early, and 29.84s overall, drawn inside Zipping Sapporo in box 2.
Me Me Mia is one of three runners that trainer David Smith qualified for the Group 1 feature with Super Estrella finishing third behind Zipping Sapporo, and Ice Cream Story finishing second in the other heat behind JODIE Lord’s Picture Frame who clocked 30.16s.
Ice Cream Story has drawn box 8 in the final, Super Estrella came up with one box, while Picture Frame has the seven. Making up the Futurity field are Kia Herrera (box 5) who was second to Me Me Mia, Red Hot Mouse (box 4) who finished 6¾ lengths behind Zipping Sapporo, and Pink Lilly (box 6) who was third behind Picture Frame.
Zipping Moose will be looking to win his second Wentworth Park feature next Saturday at just his sixth start. Back in October last year he took out the TAB Million Dollar Chase Maiden Series Final on the same night Handsome Prince won the world’s richest greyhound race.
While Zipping Moose set the time standard in the Derby qualifiers, there were some handy performances setting up what should be an intriguing final.
With seven heats, it was winners only and the fastest runner-up progressing the final, and that runner-up was Victorian Tyler Durden who clocked 29.79s in finishing a length behind Zipping Moose. The pair will jump from boxes one and two respectively in the final.
Another Victorian, the Brendan Pursell-trained Eagles Nest Egg, was having his first look at Wentworth Park and contending with what can sometimes be a tricky draw at the track - box one - but that didn’t stop him producing an impressive performance to lead throughout - and stave off a strong challenge from fellow Southerner Do It - and win in 29.91s.
Eagles Nest Egg will swap sides of the track next week in the final, having drawn the pink, a rug he has only worn the once for a win at The Meadows.
Do It may have missed the final, but his Jeff Britton kennelmate Weblec Jet will be there after a dominant 11 length win in the second quickest time of the Derby heats, 29.79s.
Weblec Jet speared to the lead from box three in his heat and gave nothing else a chance, and has drawn box seven in the final, an alley he has jumped from four times in his short career leading throughout in three of those starts for wins.
The Rob Tyler-trained Rowdy Roddy was the next quickest into the final with a 29.80s effort after stepping well from the four box, a box he will exit from again next Saturday in the final.
Like Adams, leading trainer JODIE Lord will have a finalist in both the Futurity and Derby after the talented SERIOUS Object won in head bobbing finish from Road Spike in 30.11s.
The other two heat winners were not favourites of the punters with Marie Burton’s Supersound scoring a strong win in 30.01s at $17, and Christine Proctor’s Teddy The Bear clocking the identical time when he stormed late to score at odds of $41.
