Double For Magri At Wentworth Park

By Jeff Collerson
Zipping Idaho, a litter sister to her better performed kennelmates Zipping Kansas and Zipping Conway, along with up-and-coming sprinter Our Amelia gave Jason Magri a winning double at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

Magri was unlucky not to land a treble as Zipping Novak was probably a certainty beaten when toppled for the first time in four Wentworth Park outings in the opening event, missing the start and finding trouble before flashing home to finish third to Venetian Fury.

But 19 minutes later Zipping Idaho made amends for Magri by beginning brilliantly from box three to lead throughout in 29.97, easily her fastest time from three Wentworth Park appearances.

In the following race, Our Amelia, another from the Kemps Creek trainer's kennel, took her Wentworth Park tally to three wins from six starts with an all-the-way 10 lengths romp in 29.80, just inside her previous best figures of 29.83.

"I really like Our Amelia, she has good traits,'' Magri said.

"I think she has a future but I'm not predicting she will go to top grade because it is a massive step up from fifth to top grade.

"Zipping Idaho's win didn't surprise me because she has always had the ability but in the past has seldom produced her real talent on race night.

"She nailed the start Tonight and put her head down, finally showing what I know she has always been capable of doing.

"Zipping Idaho is a litter sister to my good stayer Zipping Kansas and to Zipping Conway, who is very good but who has been out of action with a stopper tendon injury.''


Magri shared training honours on the night with Million Dollar Chase winning mentor Jodie Lord, who won with Doonan (pictured) in 30.06 and Impress Dressel in 29.91.

Young trainer Steve Fairbairn experienced the highs and lows of racing in the space of a little over half an hour at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

Fairbairn won the opening event with Venetian Fury in 30.29 before his group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden finalist Federal Aussie came out of the starting boxes a long way behind the field in race three.

"After he was placed into box three Federal Aussie rolled over onĀ  his back and he was still on his back when the lids lifted,'' Fairbairn said.

"The stewards told me I must trial him before I can race him again.

"While Venetian Fury only clocked 30.29 he has a lot of improvement in him.

"Tonight's race was only his fourth for me and he has now had two wins and a second.

"Venetian Fury had not raced at Wentworth Park before Tonight but went fairly in a post-to-post slip a couple of weeks back and he will get fitter because he has had a couple of niggling injuries along the way.''


Connections set the time standard for Saturday's meeting with a scorching 29.62 performance in a 520m fifth grade, taking his record to an impressive 14 wins from 18 starts.

Trained by Michelle Sultana, Connections' previous best Wentworth Park time was 29.68 while Hold Me Up, the runner-up on Saturday, posted his quickest Wenty figures of 29.72 with his strong finishing second.

Rebecca Gay, bought 11 months ago for just $5000, scored her seventh win for Kempsey trainer Nathan Goodwin when she led throughout to win Saturday's Masters race from her kennelmate Zipping Brady.

Goodwin is having a great trot with veterans as he took out the $100,000 to the winner Masters Meteor with Angry Blizzard on Million Dollar Chase night.

In Saturday night's sole 720m event dual group 1 winner Stanley Road bounced back to form and ran a great trial for next month's The 715 at LADBROKES GARDENS with a fast-finishing win over tearaway leader Ziggy Stardust.

Stanley Road surprised by jumping in front from box five but was badly checked crossing to the rails and came from a distant second on the back straight to win over the 720m in a slick 42.14.