The box draw has opened up Saturday night's Group 1 National Derby with highly fancied runner Fernando Bale drawing somewhat awkwardly in box seven.
Fernando Bale, trained by Andrea Dailly, has been unstoppable in the National Derby series winning both his heat and semi final - posting dazzling first splits of 5.29 and 5.31 respectively.
He was the fastest qualifier in the semi final, covering the 520m in 29.42.
Click here to watch the replay of Fernando Bale's win in the National Derby semi final.
However, in both his heat and semi final Fernando Bale drew box one and to compound the wide draw in the Derby final also has to contend with Topper Road to his outside. Topper Road, trained by Anthony Azzopardi, tends to want to crash to the fence when he draws an outside box.
While Fernando Bale will still likely be the Derby favourite, Bad Boy Sniper's trainer Jason Magri is upbeat about his chaser's chances from box four.
"He handled box four well in his semi and there is not a lot of speed around him in the final," Magri said.
Meanwhile, trainer Minnie Finn wanted box eight for her Derby qualifier Winsome Prince but he has drawn three.
And trainer Jason Mackay gives National Derby finalist Zipping Carter "no hope" after he drew box six.
The box draw for the Group 1 National Derby is: 1. Lektra Outlaw 2. Dark Vito 3. Winsome Prince 4. Bad Boy Sniper 5. Dyna Tiber 6. Zipping Carter 7. Fernando Bale 8. Topper Road 9. Winsome Jacko 10. Whittaker
Greyhound racing's National Derby is open to the best male greyhounds whelped on or after July 1 2012.
