"If he jumps cleanly he'll run the hands off the clock" was the confident prediction from trainer Syd Swain as he prepared Kangaroo Jack for Saturday night's Ladbrokes Bet Ticker final at Wentworth Park.
Kangaroo Jack overcame a slow start and an early hefty collision to win his 520m heat on December 22 in 29.91 with Brother Onyx leading throughout in the other heat in 29.97.
"For some reason, Kangaroo Jack has just switched on to the idea of racing,'' Swain said.
"Before last week's heat, I trialled him at Lithgow and where previously he wasn't interested in the lure, he jumped over the catching pen gate to try and grab it.
"He had box six in the heat so I was still afraid to back him but he ran the race of his life to win and he has drawn far better in box two on Saturday.
"But while Miss Zig Zag was a 100 per cent race bitch from the word go, Kangaroo Jack has tended to find trouble in his races.''
Zipping Sabrina was beaten a dozen lengths when fifth to Eyes To Eyes in a heat of the Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup on Tuesday night but trainer Minnie Finn said she has been "trialling as well as ever.''
Zipping Sabrina has box one in Saturday night's Typhoon Sammy 520m fourth and fifth grade at Wentworth Park and while her best form is from outside draws, Finn expects her to run a good race.
"She came in season in early September and was sidelined for nearly four months so I didn't think her Gosford Cup run was too bad,'' Finn said.
"Zipping Sabrina came out hopelessly but made up ground and she was up against tough opposition.
"She has been trialling as well as she has ever gone but she still lacks race fitness.
"You can trial them as much as you like but you can't beat race fitness.''
Zipping Sabrina is known as a slow beginner but in June at Wentworth Park she jumped in front from box five and led throughout over 520m in a flying 29.68, clocking a surprisingly quick first split of 5.46.
Jimmy Bale has been placed in nine of 11 Wentworth Park races but gets his chance from box three to break through in Saturday night's NSW GBOTA Welcome Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
The Simon Rhodes-trained dog likes to be drawn near the rails and produced his personal best Wentworth Park time of 30.03 when second, from box two, behind brilliant front-runner Johnny Red at Wentworth Park on December 16.
Johnny Red proved the form by winning comfortably against far stronger opposition at his next Wentworth Park appearance.
