Zipping Maserati's last win was on May 5 but he looks a stand-out bet at Richmond on Wednesday night when he will be on trial for a start in the Group 2 Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup.
The Marty Hallinan-owned and trained dog turned four last month but ran a great race when fifth in last Saturday's Christmas Gift at Wentworth Park and should prove too strong for his veteran rivals despite drawing box five in Wednesday's Ladbrokes Racing Club Masters Stakes.
Marty Hallinan said: "Zipping Maserati won a heat of the Richmond Derby last year from box four in 29.59 so he goes really well on the track.
"I feel he is not far away from that sort of form now.
"Naturally age is catching up with him a bit but if he goes as well as I expect him to on Wednesday I will take him to Gosford for the Cup heats on December 26.
"In the Christmas Gift final last Saturday, he was alongside Zipping Caleb on the back straight but that younger dog dropped him soon after and went on to win by nearly two lengths.
"But Zipping Maserati was just under three lengths from the winner in fifth spot and clocked a smart 29.81 getting beaten.''
Mackayla Clarke has held a public trainer's licence for just a few months but has a promising team in work and has bright prospects at Richmond on Wednesday night with Midnight Star in the Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Clarke, who is 20, won three races in succession over 401m at Richmond in October and November with Midnight Star while she finished third, over 472m at Bulli, in each of two subsequent races.
Midnight Star is tackling 520m for the first time on Wednesday but Clarke is confident her bitch will run the journey out solidly.
"If she steps away cleanly from box three I'm sure Midnight Star will be hard to beat,'' Clarke said.
"She finished strongly over 472m at Bulli on November 21 and again over that distance there a week later so she should have no trouble handling the 520m.''
Poco Dorado was an outstanding bitch who won 32 of 79 starts for earnings of $361,000 but it's fair to say her first litter was disappointing.
Her second litter, sired by Flying Ricciardo and whelped in February last year, have displayed far more talent, and one of them, Might Have Been, is tipped to win at his middle-distance debut at Richmond on Wednesday.
When Might Have Been stormed home to win over 520m at Wentworth Park last Saturday, it rang up win number seven at Wentworth Park for the siblings.
Part-owner Denis Donoghue said: "They have also won 29 races at the provincials so while there are no champs among them, they are all pretty handy.''
Trainer Minnie Finn describes the Flying Ricciardo-Poco Dorado youngsters as "good bread and butter dogs" and on Wednesday night Might Have Been can notch his fourth win in 18 starts when he exits box four in a 622m GRNSW Middle Distance Series fifth grade.
In a Richmond 520m race on December 13, Might Have Been gave the leader 10 lengths' start in the early stages before flashing home to finish second, beaten less than two lengths.
Then last Saturday he settled in second spot on the back straight before sweeping down the outside to win running away over 520m at Wentworth Park, clocking a handy 30.09.
Might Have Been looks suited over Wednesday's longer trip and with wide runner Aki The Brave drawn outside him in box five, has a great chance of going straight to the front at the jump.
