By Isaac Murphy
Sky Wave has amassed seventeen victories in twenty six race starts and is currently on a four race unbeaten run which she will be looking to extend in the UBET Origin Sprint Series Thursday night.
A blue wave swept over Albion Park last Thursday night as the Victor Sultana trained Sky Wave announced her Albion arrival with a classy first up victory, setting her up for a run at Queensland’s best in the Origin Sprint final.
“Everything went to plan first up, she began really well and led and once she gets to the front she’s always been very hard to run down,” he said.
“She doesn’t have to lead from the box (5) to win, but in these big races to get to the front is a real bonus.”
Sultana said he had called on the services of long-time friend and well known Queensland trainer Tony Apap to avoid travelling to and from Sydney for each week’s race.
“She’s been up at Tony Apap’s place, who I’ve had a long association with, my dogs have stayed with him a couple of times before, it’s always good to give them a chance to settle in.”
Sultana said Sky Wave was ready to peak for the UBET Origin Series and possibly could have made even more noise up North if she had arrived earlier.
“She made the Origin Squad and strung a couple of wins together at Wentworth Park, so the series really came along for her right on time,” he said.
“In hindsight we might have sent her up for the Winter Cup, but by the time she put those wins together we didn’t have time to get her up there and trial her on the track.”
“With the timing of the heats she’s been able to have a trial and a race, plus a week up there to get acclimatised.”
Still only a two year old Sultana believes Sky Wave has the ability to enter the upper echelon of Australian chaser’s.
“She’s the type of dog you’d be looking to take to the group races in the future,” he said.
“She’s got good box manners and good speed which are two ticks straight away.”
Sky Wave will go head to head with buzz dog Jury for Tony Brett, fresh off his group one Winter Cup win last start.
Jury who is installed as a $2.90 favourite for the race will bounce from the three box, with fellow Queenslanders, Slick, Bubble Guppy and Maurice Minor jumping from the four, six and eight respectively.
Sky Wave, entrenched on the second line of betting is joined on the New South Wales Squad by Catch Me Curly (1), Rohan Hill (2) and Drink Schooners (7).