Owner Eddie Kingswell believes the draw favours Red Road but reckons his other finalist Boyce Road is the value runner in Saturday night’s Group 2 Eco Friendly Building Systems Richmond Derby final (535m).
Both Red Road and Boyce Road give Eddie, who switched from owning racing pigeons to greyhounds on medical advice, a great chance of running the quinella in Saturday’s $40,000-to-the-winner event.
In last week’s heats, Red Road won in 30.33 after being trapped three wide at the first turn, while Boyce Road (pictured) overcame a slow start to score in 30.38.
Fastest qualifier is Jimmy Coyle’s Evil Punk, who led throughout in 30.29, while Ritza Raider, a kennelmate of Red Road and Boyce Road was successful in 30.51.
Ritza Ryder, who was runner-up in Evil Punk’s heat, gives trainer Mark Gatt his fourth qualifier and an astonishing 50% of the Derby's lineup.
Red Road has box one and Boyce Road box five so Eddie said that gives the former an obvious advantage.
But he disclosed that Boyce Road trialled quicker than Red Road a few days before last week’s heats.
"On the Monday before the heats Mark gave my pair a box to box trial each and Boyce Road clocked 25.01 while Red Road only ran 25.18," Eddie said.
"So Boyce Road is every bit as fast as his brother. He missed the jump from box seven in his heat but was still able to lead at the first turn so at the fixed odds price he is the value runner.
"But if Red Road can hold out Evil Punk in the run to the first corner he is going to be awfully hard to beat.
"He ran 30.22 at Richmond as a maiden and I don’t think we have seen the best of Red Road yet."
Sid Swain, who took out the 2003 and 2009 Richmond Derby finals with Cyrus The Virus and Cool Flight respectively, has rank outsider Manyana Groper in box four in Saturday’s 2014 decider.
But the best roughie in the event is Romantic Affair, trained by Mario Abela, a Richmond committeeman and a long-time supporter of the club via sponsorship from his company, Castlewood Kitchens.
Romantic Affair likes to use a bit of the track so is well positioned out wide in box six.
Evil Punk, Red Road and Boyce Road can all claim to be Richmond specialists as between them they have started 17 times at the Londonderry circuit for 14 wins.
Best Bet: Trendy Tia (Race 5)
Best Value: Freddy’s Smile (Race 7)
Quaddie: Race 5 – 7, 1, 4, 3
Race 6 – 8, 4
Race 7 – 2, 5, 1
Race 8 – 1, 5
$20 for 41.67%
