Zigzag’s Straight Track target

[Wandering Eyes]

While his name might suggest otherwise, provincial speed sensation Zigzag Cabang shapes as the headline act in Sunday afternoon’s Victorian Straight Track Championship heats (350m) at Healesville.

Trained by owner/breeder Greg Berry at Toolleen, Zigzag Cabang will be chasing a sixth ‘straight’ win when he exits Box 2 in the last of three heats (Race 8 at 12.57pm).

The last time Zigzag Cabang was seen in action at Healesville, he careered away with the Winter Cup final (350m) from the same draw on July 10.

“The way he’s going, Zigzag Cabang is definitely the best dog I’ve had.”

Boasting the imposing strike rate of 24 wins from 46 starts, Zigzag Cabang has proven especially effective ‘up the straight’.

He’s won eight from 13 over Healesville’s 350m course, as well as his lone start over 300m, and has been victorious in seven of his last eight appearances at the picturesque venue.

“He’s a very nice dog. He’s really putting it all together now,” said Greg Berry.

“He’s drawn a nice box on Sunday too, but he’ll need to jump a lot better than he did at Horsham on Tuesday.

“He fell out of the boxes but really powered to the line. He knows where the finish line is.

“I’ve had plenty of dogs win three in a row, but he’s had five now.

WATCH: ZIGZAG CABANG (B2) raced away for a commanding victory in Healesville’s Winter Cup Final (350m) on July 10, recording a Best Of Day 19.22sec.

“He’s as good up the straight as he is around the circle. He’s run 19.03sec at Healesville – if you’re running 19.20sec or better you’re going pretty well – and he hasn’t had a tailwind there yet.

“The $10,000 for winning this series is good money and if he’s good enough to get through to the final in Sydney that’ll be an experience for me and the dog!

“The Healesville Cup is coming up on the back of this series and there’s The Arrow as well, so the plan is to stay at Healesville the whole time, if everything works out.”

The first two placegetters in next Sunday’s (August 14) $15,250 Victorian Straight Track Championship final will qualify for the $25,000 to-the-winner National Grand Final to be conducted at Richmond (NSW) on Saturday, August 27.

As Zigzag Cabang’s picket-fence form-line lengthens, Berry continues enjoying a fantastic run with his homebred February ’20 Beast Unleashed x Stars And Lights litter, which has to date won 53 races and $154,138 in prizemoney.

“The way he’s going, Zigzag Cabang is definitely the best dog I’ve had,” Berry said.

“Before him, it was Lance Link, which won 32 races out of around 100 starts and ran a lot of seconds too (17). Lance Link was from the same litter as Zigzag Cabang’s mother, Stars And Lights.

“I acquired Stars And Lights, Lance Link, Atlantic Jewel, and Owen Money from Rod Clark for a very cheap price!

“Zigzag Cabang’s brother Money Owes (nine from 22) has a few quirks, but he ran 29.85sec at The Meadows on Maturity night, which is only .01 outside what Wow She’s Fast ran in the Maturity.”

Sunday’s meeting will kickstart Healesville’s Festival of Racing, which also features The Arrow match race series (August 21), the Highway 31 Maiden Challenge (heats, August 21) and culminates with the G2 Healesville Cup (heats, September 4).

ZIGZAG CABANG pictured in full flight at Healesville.

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