Franky Fires Into Speed Star Mix

GROUP 3 New Sensation winner Feral Franky squeezed into Sunday’s Bill Collins Speed Star (515m) with a flying 29.27 exhibition trial at Sandown Park on Sunday afternoon.

GROUP 3 New Sensation winner Feral Franky squeezed into Sunday's Bill Collins Speed Star (515m) with a flying 29.27 exhibition trial at Sandown Park on Sunday afternoon.

Winner at six of his 17 appearances for trainer Ray Smith, including his past two at Wentworth Park in barnstorming fashion, Feral Franky (Collision x Solar Pak) gave every impression the match-race format would suit him down to the ground, and on the strength of Sunday's blistering solo trial, who could argue?

Feral Franky – the only chaser to barge into Bill Collins Speed Star calculations on Sunday – moved into seventh position on the leader-board for the 515m group 3 event, with the news that Brisbane Cup hero Hasten Slowly won't contest the series for trainer Angela Langton.

On a frenetic afternoon of racing at Sandown on Sunday, where the 11-race program coincided with 15 Speed Star exhibition trials, it was the race performance of lightly raced galloper Eight Ball that grabbed the headlines, the son of Kayda Shae landing race four in a flying 29.24.

Trained by Phil Smith, the son of Kayda Shae, runner-up to Smart Missile in the 2015 Speed Star, surged to fifth on the leader-board with Sunday's breakout performance.

Leading into this Sunday's bumper Speed Star program, the most moves to the leader-board was over the 595 metres, with She Will Bloom (5th), Neo Cleo (6th) and Blue Striker (8th) each doing enough to earn a berth in the Racecallers final field over the middle distance journey.

A total of $190,000 will be up for grabs this Sunday at Sandown Park, on what promises to be another outstanding afternoon of Speed Star match race action over the three distances.

Current favourite for the Bill Collins Speed Star (515m) is Midnight Dare at $3.00, ahead of this Wednesday night's Warrnambool Cup hopeful Lucy's Milo at $4.50.

And despite a below par performance at The Meadows on Saturday, Ella Enchanted has been installed a pre-post $3.00 favourite for the Racecallers Speed Star (595m), while for the Lizrene Speed Star (715m), Embye assumes top position in betting at $2.40, following last week's blistering 41.55 trial for trainer Ruth Matic.

Nominations for the series' close at 10am this Wednesday, with the release of the final fields and respective match races soon after.

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