Big Bunga Set To Explode At The Gardens
In a once of year swap, the Casino meeting has been moved to the twilight time slot for their Group Three Cup meeting, while The Gardens program will take up the daytime slot with an early start time of 12.16pm AEST.
The star attraction of today's daytime meeting will be the Tweed Heads Galaxy winner Big Bunga, when he steps out in race five, the greyhoundproductsdirect.com.au Stake over 400 metres.
Big Bunga was injured in his Group Two victory over National Derby champion, Elite Blue Size at the June long weekend carnival and was off the scene for almost three months.
“He hurt himself in the run, but still managed to win the final” said trainer Jason MacKay
“It took him a while to recover, but we have given him plenty of time and taken him along slowly.
“He's 100% now though” added MacKay
Big Bunga returned on Black Top Final night at the start of September, but was relegated to second by his highly talented kennel mate Velocity Wind. However it didn't take long for the son of and Special Sauce to break back on to the winner's list, with an impressive front running display at Maitland in a slick 22.66 over 400 metres.
The lightly raced speedster has won 11 of his 19 starts and banked just over $35,500 in careers stakes money, which should increase today by the $1,100 first prize, which he is racing for today.
The form analyst has tipped Big Bunga on top, but steered away from the Group two winner as the best of the program, making Frank Sannette, box one in race six, the Schweppes Stake over 515 metres, the star bet.
“FRANK SANNETTE (1) drops in class on recent runs at Wentworth Park, good beginner with early speed ideally drawn inside a wider runner, loves this track, the one to beat.”
Punters can start the day off well with Sean's Pet, rated the best value runner of the meeting in race one, the Bacardi Stake over the short course 400 metres, jumping from box five.
You can bet live on today's bumper meeting at The Gardens at Sportsbet or Iasbet, with the first race of the daytime program scheduled to kick off at 12.16pm AEST