The great Flying Ricciardo won 14 of his first 16 starts but Bandit Ned is just one victory short of that achievement after recording his 13th success at his 16th appearance on Saturday night at Wentworth Park.
The JODIE Lord-trained Bandit Ned went into the 520m fifth grade with a dozen wins and three placings from 15 outings and made a one-act affair of Saturday night's race.
Jumping cleanly from box five, Bandit Ned was in front at the winning post with a lap to go and went on to score by five lengths in a blistering 29.55 sec, well inside his previous best WP figures of 29.76, posted in March.
Bandit Ned now looms as one of the early favourites for the group 1 Vic Peters Classic, which gets under way with heats at Wentworth Park next Saturday night.
After last Saturday's win trainer JODIE Lord said: "I wasn't surprised to see him run 29.55 tonight, in fact I thought he was capable of going even faster.
"This dog is improving all the time and I don't think we have seen the best of him yet.''
Ice Cream Story faded in the straight but still managed a first-up 720m win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, taking out the top grade long distance event in the handy time of 42.33.
The David Smith-trained bitch trailed kennelmate Prim And Proper in the early stages but after dashing clear on the back straight, Ice Cream Story had only a half length to spare over the fast finishing Zipping Nebraska when the event came to a halt.
Ice Cream Story will now contest a heat of the group 2 Sydney Cup over 720m at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night, where she will exit box one in heat one against Australia's top stayer Stanley Road, who has drawn two.
Later, Tarawi Ted gave Ice Cream Story's trainer a winning double by coming from a distant second at the half-way mark to win a 520m fifth grade by a half length in a slick 30.01.
Flashing Oscar, who "showed nothing" early in his career, notched his 10th win and his first at Wentworth Park for trainer James Porter on Saturday night.
Flashing Oscar, who had been placed in three of his previous seven races at headquarters, came from fourth at the pen and third on the back straight to win the opening race, a 520m fifth grade, running away at the finish in 30.10.
"Not only did he show nothing before he started racing but he didn't really want to go,'' trainer James Porter said on Saturday night.
"Originally he was very frightened when I took him to the track but that has all changed and now he can't wait to race.
"Before tonight Flashing Oscar had been placed in three of four Wenty races in May and June and with any luck could have won a couple of them.
"In two of those races he was stalking the leaders down the back straight, just like he did tonight, when a dog stopped stone dead in front of him and he ran into the back of it.
"Flashing Oscar had a broken hock at one stage so has done a good job to get back and win in town.''
Connections will consider nominating King Power for heats of the Vic Peters Classic following the dog's impressive all-the-way Wentworth Park debut victory on Saturday.
The Natalie MacDonald-trained King Power led throughout in a fifth grade, posting sizzling splits of 5.41 and 13.89 before covering the 520m in a handy 30.20.
MacDonald's husband Troy said after the race: "Not only was King Power seeing Wenty Park for the first time tonight but he had not previously raced on a two turn track.
"That was his 10th win in 16 starts and he is a real nice young dog and with that experience under his belt I reckon he can shave a bit off the 30.20 he ran tonight.''
The vastly improved Chase Me Honey broke the 30sec barrier at Wentworth Park for the first time on Saturday night when she led throughout and just held off Sound Of Silence to win a 520m fourth and fifth grade in 29.80.
The Michael Hardman-trained Chase Me Honey has been a model of consistency in recent weeks, and Saturday's win was her fourth in a row, mixing sprint and middle distances with equal success.
"She just keeps getting better and better,'' Hardman said on Saturday night.
