Fastest qualifier Gypsy Yankee has gone from box one in his sizzling heat win to box six in the September 24 final of the $100,000 to the winner Masters Meteor at Wentworth Park but trainer Shayne Stiff is not perturbed.
"In his two races for me Gypsy Yankee has jumped smartly and led all the way, from boxes seven and one,'' Stiff said.
"There is not a lot of early pace among the dogs drawn around Gypsy Yankee in the final and if he begins cleanly again he should still be awfully hard to toss.''
Gypsy Yankee posted brilliant first and second splits of 5.45 and 13.83 in his all the way heat win on Wednesday night and despite the wide draw looks the dog to beat in the final.
"He turned four in August but is like a 16-month-old puppy, all Gypsy Yankee wants to do at home is work, he is a terrific dog to train, he has the best possible temperament,'' Stiff said.
Gypsy Yankee was a lucky acquisition for Dubbo-based Stiff who had been trying to buy the dog from his owners, twin brothers George and Tom Dailly.
Although the Victorian-based Daillys were reluctant to part with Gypsy Yankee, they agreed to let Stiff train the dog with the Masters Meteor his mission.
Tom Dailly now has two chances at the Meteor $100,000 prize as his wife Andrea trains Providence Bale, who won his heat on Wednesday for owner Jan Wheeler, in a tidy 30.05.
Providence Bale was third early but took the lead leaving the back straight and held off a late charge by Zest To Excel to win by a neck.
The other heat was taken out by Cumbria Dreaming, who led throughout from box three in 29.98.
Cumbria Dreaming's box two draw in the final delighted trainer Steve Fitch, who said: "I wanted him in boxes one, two or three.
"When Cumbria Dreaming won his heat he was racing at WP for the first time in two months.
"But I had been deliberately keeping him away from Wenty with the Masters Meteor in mind.
"Reason for that is I have noticed Cumbria Dreaming goes really well at WP when he has not been there for a while, but after several runs he tends to train off slightly as far as this track is concerned.''
Canya Smoke Them, fastest qualifier for the September 24 final of the Million Dollar Chase Maiden, has drawn perfectly according to owner Mark Duclos.
The media personality bought the dog "for good money" as an unraced youngster and before his fast 29.82 heat win on Wednesday, Canya Smoke Them had been placed in each of two starts at Wentworth Park.
In the MDC Maiden Final Canya Smoke Them, who won his heat in 29.82, will exit box one, with Wilson's Pick, an all the way 30.51 heat winner, in box two.
Jason Magri's previously unraced boom youngster Comet A Cost, dwelt at box rise but took the lead at the first turn to win the other heat in 30.01.
Duclos' confidence about his dog's rails draw was boosted because Wilson's Pick, who showed brilliant early pace but faded at the finish, drew two and raced very wide around the first turn in her heat.
When she won on Wednesday night Wilson's Pick gave Martin Bowe his first 520m winner at WP in 12 years as a trainer.
"I won a 280m race in town a few years back but this was my first 'real' Wenty winner,'' Bowe said later.
"I trained Wilson's Pick's dam Len's Pick to win 15 races and she had brilliant early pace, just like Wilson's Pick showed in her heat win.''
Wilson's Pick exploded from box six on Wednesday and set up a 10 lengths' lead on the back straight before fading badly in the straight to win narrowly.
"I knew she would get tired tonight because Wilson's Pick missed a trial at Wentworth Park last Saturday,'' Bowe said on Wednesday.
"I had previously given her a box-to-box trial at Wenty but intended to bring her back last Saturday for another look at the track.
"Unfortunately because that meeting was put back by three races the trials after the last event were delayed so I was unable to bring Wilson's Pick to Wenty to give her another gallop.
"She can improve a lot in the final and although she got wide at the first turn, I'm happy seeing her in box two on September 24.''
