The Victorian-trained 2022 National Futurity winner Idolize has reaffirmed her love affair with Wentworth Park with a record-breaking trial on the eve of Saturday night's Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder.
Idolize, who has won five of her seven Wentworth Park races, has just been given a box-to-box trial and posted splits of 5.18, 13.50 and 17.70 according to trainer Peter Presutto.
She has drawn box six in Saturday's second heat of the Paws Of Thunder, but while delighted with her trial trainer Presutto is slightly concerned about how she will finish off the 520m trip.
"Clockers who watched her Wenty trial assured me it was a track record for a box-to-box hit-out, but prior to that she had trialled at Sale and broke the first and second split records but didn't get to the line as well as I expected,'' he said.
"But while it is customary for the locals to have a home track advantage, there's no doubt Idolize goes better at Wenty than anywhere else.
"When I got her out of the car for the trial the other night she knew where she was, she absolutely lit up with excitement of the prospect of being back at Wentworth Park."
Zipping Novak has fully recovered from the spider bite which robbed him of a chance at taking out the recent Group 2 Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup and is ready to win Saturday's fourth Paws Of Thunder heat.
Zipping Novak's near record 29.03 was fastest of the Gosford Cup heats on Boxing Night but the insect bite ruled him out of the final, won by Good Odds Cobber in 29.31.
Trainer Jason Magri said: "Zipping Novak had a hit-out at Richmond last Monday and trialled as good as he has ever gone so he is ready to go.''
Zipping Novak's kennelmate Comet A Cost has not raced at Wentworth Park for 10 months but will resume from box one in Saturday's sixth and weakest Thunder heat.
At his sole race since June, Comet A Cost, who was sidelined after dropping a hind leg muscle, won over 320m at Richmond on December 17 in a nippy 18.16.
Magri said: "He has not had a 520m trial this preparation so could be a run short.
"But Comet A Cost went real well in a post-to-post hit-out and while he may not yet be quite as good as he was when he clocked 29.47 at Wentworth Park on February 15 last year, he is not far off it.''
The Andy Lord-trained Nangar Larry is among the favourites for Saturday week's Thunder final but trainer Jordan Cooper believes his greyhound Crackerjack Aret can upset him in heat three.
Victoria-based Cooper trains the dog's litter brother Crackerjack Boom, who has box one in heat four and has won two of three Wentworth Park outings, but insists Crackerjack Aret is "much faster."
"Crackerjack Aret just needs room to move and if he gets that he will be hard to beat on Saturday,'' Cooper said.
"Forget his last start sixth in a Warragul Cup heat on January 5 as he got run off the track in the early stages.''
