Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club’s popular Seaside Festival reached its penultimate stage with the running of the Paddy Wants Pats Oaks Special Event (450m) and heats of the Matko Hire Derby (450m) last Saturday night.

The Oaks was taken out in powerful fashion by the Robert Camilleri-trained Zipping Alexa ($16.90) who proved too strong for Tropicana ($4.00) and Quest For Magic ($9.00) in 25.42sec.

Zipping Alexa (Aug '21 Zipping Garth x Zipping Paris) notched her eighth win (with five seconds and six thirds) from 35 starts and the $7500 first prize bumped up her earnings to $25,385.

Zipping Alexa, who denied her odds, had put the writing on the wall with a fast-finishing third to Isle Of Rose in a heat of the G2 Laurels at Sandown Park on December 7.

Meanwhile, three heats of the Derby witnessed the Dave Geall-trained Aston Fantastic ($1.50F) taking time honours in 25.21sec.

Aston Fantastic (Feb '22 Aussie Infrared x Fantastic Dotty) – who was runner-up in the Warrnambool Summer Sizzle – registered his ninth win (with five seconds) from 17 starts and $29,270 in stakes.

Other heat winners were Destructively ($2.00F) in 25.26sec for Ash Terry and Canya Nitrate($2.30F) in 25.30sec for Jess Hopkins.

The Derby final, to be held on Thursday night, carries a $7500 winner's purse and is a climax to the Seaside Festival.