John Iwaynk has enjoyed notable success in the Lew Dorsa Memorial Trophy Final (530m) and Thunder Rama can score him another victory on Saturday night at Cannington.
The consistent sprinter faces a quality field but looks ideally drawn in box one to win the $13,500 top prize.
Thunder Rama finished just over a length behind Starlight Jack in last week’s heats, with the latter drawing box seven here.
A son of Hallucinate x Bananarama, Thunder Rama has been a very solid performer over the last 18 months and his trainer is “cautiously optimistic” here.
“He needs to lead to win,” Iwanyk, who has won this race three times before, said. “I think he should lead with this draw.
“He needs to jump and lead – that’s the first assignment – and then we’ll see how it pans out.
“He’s not a strong finisher, so it’s about whether he can lead these and stay in front.”
Last week’s run took Thunder Rama’s record to 20 wins and 31 minor placings from 76 starts.
He has won from every box but is particularly solid with the red rug, with three victories and six minor placings from 11 previous starts.
“He has been a great dog for us,” Iwanyk said.
“I didn’t initially think he was a free-for-all standard greyhound, but he has proved me wrong.
“If he can win a feature race like this, then superb, but if not I won’t lose respect for him.”
Starlight Jack was the fastest in last week’s three heats and looks tough to beat.
Click here to watch a replay of Starlight Jack’s win in the heats.
That win took the Paul Stuart trained sprinter’s record to 16 victories from 29 starts.
There is a question mark about his ability to win from out wide, though, and he will need to ping the lids here.
Former top Victorian Ollie">Ollie Bale (box four) must also be considered after qualifying behind You Can Dream in last week’s heat.
That was Ollie Bale’s first run since transferring to Enzo Crudeli’s WA kennels and with his previous strong form he demands respected.
Other strong-looking chances here include Jabba Da Pup in race one, Romeo’s Comet in the seventh and in-form Dyna Fulcrum in the ninth.
Freeway Tempo is going for a hat-trick of wins in the 10th and looks perfectly drawn in box one to get there.
Iwanyk has been training for about 16 years, going full-time in 2002.
“Any time you get a win anywhere it’s a pleasure,” the 58-year-old works out Nambeelup on the WA coast, said.
“You get up early and put the hard work in during the week. When they come home it’s a great thrill.
“That challenge is what I enjoy best.”
For Cannington Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
