Depeche V Zipping Duvall Will Thrill

By Jeff Collerson
The clash between outstanding youngsters Depeche and Zipping Duvall provides a mouth-watering Maiden Final opening to Saturday night's Wentworth Park card.

Depeche was making her debut when she led all the way to win her heat on June 7 in 29.84 while Zipping Duvall was also facing the starter for the first time when he came from midfield early to take the other heat in 30.29.

In Saturday's final Zipping Duvall has box five while Depeche has drawn six and while neither greyhound is well positioned they will dominate the betting.

Minnie Finn, trainer of Zipping Duvall, said: "My dog can go quicker than he did in his heat because he trialed 29.85 at Wentworth Park before he raced there.

"But he is slow early, his first split when he trialed was pretty steady, 5.65, so Depeche is likely to be in front of him at the first turn.

"Although Zipping Duvall has plenty of ability it is hard to see him running Depeche down.''

There isn't a better-drawn runner at Wentworth Park on Saturday than Tiggerlong Car, who has box eight in the 520m Ladbrokes Odds Surge Masters Stakes.

Tiggerlong Car, whose past three Wentworth Park appearances have resulted in two wins and a second, scoring from boxes six and four, but trainer Kevin Keys said: "Box eight is definitely the right draw for her.

"Tiggerlong Car is a reliable beginner, she usually comes out good, but her problem is she has no pace to the first turn.

"But from her perfect draw if she gets a clear run to the corner she should be hard to beat.''

Although he has not won in three starts from box one, Cawbourne Apollo also looks well positioned in the Where Else But Wenty? Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

Cawbourne Apollo will wear the red rug but after being placed at his first two outings from the inside alley he fell when he drew box one at Wentworth Park on March 16.

Cawbourne Apollo had box three when he registered his personal best Wentworth Par time of 29.67 and drew box two for a last-start win over 520m at Dapto in a best of the night 29.68.

"You'd think box one would suit him but for some reason, he hasn't gone all that well from the rails previously,'' trainer Bailey Dickinson said.

"I think Cawbourne Apollo could develop into a stayer which is why I gave him three middle-distance races in May.

"He won his last one, over 630m at Nowra on May 20, and those races seem to have boosted his confidence because after getting on the lure in the Nowra win he came out and won in fast time over 520m at Dapto 10 days later.''

Jack Smith, who landed a winning treble at Wentworth Park on Friday, June 7, could take out the quinella in Saturday's Opal & Classic Heats June 29 Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.

The FORBES trainer has Talk About Class ideally drawn in box one and Irinka Benji in box five.

"They both trialled smartly at Temora on Tuesday so I expect them to run well,'' Smith said.

"Talk About Class can be tardy out of the boxes but if he jumps cleanly he has the pace to be the leader.

"I think he can get down to 29.90 or maybe 29.80 at Wentworth Park, but Irinka Benji is stronger at the end of 520m.

"So if Irinka Benji is sitting on Talk About Class' tail going down the back straight he will probably run him down.''

Best Bet Cawbourne Apollo (race 7)
Best Value Talk About Class (race 4)

Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 6, 1
Race 6 - 6, 5, 4
Race 7 - 1, 4
Race 8 - 2, 3, 7
$20 for 37.03%