Six strong heats of the Group 2 Ken Hickey Concreting Cranbourne Cup (520m) highlights a strong program of racing tonight with Bookkeeper nicely placed from box two in the opening qualifier.
The Glenn Dainton-trained chaser will clash with Group 1 Hobart Thousand finalist Farmor Las Vegas and, although having his first race start at the track, will be ideally suited by the spacious circuit.
Bookkeeper followed successive wins at Sandown and Ballarat with a rare down-the-track performance behind Innocent Til at The Meadows on December 14.
"He did miss the start that night but to be honest I don't really know what happened," Dainton said.
"He pulled up like he'd just been given a sleeping tablet and I was quite worried about him to be honest. I knew something just wasn't right but I had him checked and couldn't find anything wrong with him.
"I trialled him at The Meadows a few days prior to that run and he flew around the track so I really have no idea what happened."
However, Dainton said Bookkeeper is back on track and expects him to go close to winning tonight.
"I trialled him at the track last week and he went very quick with a very fast first section and he has been jumping out of his skin since," he said.
"That was his first look at the track and he hadn't had a run for a couple of weeks so I was extremely happy with the trial.
"He has drawn perfectly in box two and has an early race as well which is ideal.
"There doesn't appear to be a lot of speed drawn either side of him so hopefully he can jump to the front."
Dalton said the danger to Bookkeeper is the Robert Britton-trained Farmor Las Vegas.
"Obviously he will be very hard to beat as he is a smart dog but I'm confident my bloke is up with him," he said.
"Bookkeeper is very strong and a quick beginner so hopefully he will be in front or just off the speed as the long straights at Cranbourne suit him."
Gold Town will also be suited by the big track and from box two will be hard to beat in heat two from the coniststent Tonk (box four), while the Jason Thompson-trained Phenomenal was beaten into second placing by Dyna Nalin in the Group 1 Sale Cup as an odds-on favourite on Boxing Day but can has run a very quick 29.78 at the track and stands out in heat three.
Xylia Allen (pictured) has drawn awkwardly in box four for the fourth qualifier but with a clear run is the one to beat from Banjo Boy (box two), while heat five a very open affair with Innocent Til (box one), Where's Surf (box two) and Crump (box seven) the main chances.
The final heat looks a race in two between Iona Seven (box two) and Group 1 Sportingbet Dapto Megastar winner Peter Rocket (box four).
