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Bessy Boo will be out to emulate the great Winifred Bale when he steps out in Saturday night's final of the Group 1 Ladbrokes National Sprint Championship (520m) at Wentworth Park.
The veteran (pictured, $6 with Sportsbet)), who won the NSW final in terrific fashion last Saturday, finished fifth to fellow NSW representative Chica Destacada in the 2014 final at Perth's Cannington.
He is considered a far stronger chance this year from a near perfect draw of box two on his local track.
Winifred Bale, trained by Allen Wheeler, whose son Paul owns Bessy Boo's toughest rival Fernando Bale, finished seventh to Queensland's Madonna Lee in the 1982 Championship at Brisbane's Gabba course.
But Winifred Bale redeemed herself 12 months later on her home track as Bessy Boo will try to do this year.
In the 1983 National Sprint Championship at Sydney's Harold Park, Winifred Bale led all the way to defeat fellow NSW representative Bindall's Hope and Queensland's Lord Tegimi.
Bessy Boo's trainer Christine Proctor has declared the dog "flying'' in readiness for Saturday night.
"All he will have this week is a couple of free gallops up and down the straight, but he won't be going behind the lure,'' Proctor said.
"I can't get over how smart Bessy Boo is in a field. In last Saturday night's state final he was back in seventh place one minute and seconds later was nailed to the rail running third.''
Tom Dailly, whose wife Andrea trains the mighty Fernando Bale ($1.60F), is quietly confident their greyhound will return to his awesome best on Saturday night.
Fernando Bale was slightly disappointing when third to Margins in the Victorian final of the National Sprint but Dailly said the dog went into the race slightly "flat.''
"Fernando Bale has had a long, hard campaign," Dailly said. "If it had been an ordinary race we would not have started him in the state final.
"He had to go around to qualify for this week's final but he really needed a freshen up and now he has had that I think he will be his old self on Saturday night.''
Jamie Ennis, whose wife Brooke trains Victoria's state final winner Margins ($9), doubts their greyhound can win from box eight.
"I can't see how he can get around a field of this calibre from that draw because Margins wants an inside box badly,'' Ennis said.
Keybow's ($3.60) trainer Tony Brett gives the veteran a great chance following the Hunter Valley-owned dog's sizzling 29.63 solo trial at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
"It was a big ask to drive directly to Wentworth Park from Queensland to trial and he even surprised me with how well he went,'' Brett said.
Sydney trainer Anthony Azzopardi would have preferred to see his Sprint finalist Jack Kade ($31) in box eight rather than one.
"If he can retain the lead around the first turn he has a Hope but Jack Kade drifts wide on the back straight," Azzopardi said. "He likes to come down on his rivals from an outside draw.
"Box one is not great for him, although it is better than box two or three.''
Azzopardi also has Magic Earner ($8.50) in the National Distance Championship final and is hoping his NSW final winner can "camp behind'' Tasmania's Lillycette">Lillycette ($7).
"Lillycette looks like being the pacemaker from box one but I think Magic Earner is the second best beginning early pace dog in the field,'' Azzopardi said.
"If she can camp behind Lillycette, Magic Earner should be hard to beat.''
Lillycette's trainer Ted Medhurst expects his bitch to run a bold race in her bid to become the first Tasmanian-trained greyhound to win the National Distance title.
"If she gets an easy lead she will earn prizemoney for sure,'' Medhurst said.
Sweet It Is ($1.75) will be attempting to become only the second greyhound to win back-to-back National Distance Championships on Saturday night.
Queensland's Boronia Blossom won the 1995 and 1996 finals, while Sweet It Is was last year's winner.
But her tendency to get back in the field, coupled with a mediocre box three draw, gives her arch-rival Lady Toy ($3.50) a great chance of causing an upset.
"Box eight is great for Lady Toy," trainer Jamie Ennis said. "While she is trained in Victoria she goes better at Wentworth Park than any other track."
Lillycette's trainer Ted Medhurst is also bringing Prescribe, who finished fifth in the Tasmanian Sprint Championship, to Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Prescribe has box one in the fifth grade wentworthpark.com.au Stakes and is tipped to be hard to beat.
"He has been missing the jump from bad boxes at home but only has to come out half decent to go well on Saturday night,'' Medhurst said.
"Prescribe broke 30 seconds in a solo trial over 520m at Wentworth Park before his last visit to Sydney so I know he can run time at the track.''
Best bet on Saturday should be the Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Angel, who has box eight in the Sky Racing Final.
Good Odds Angel won her heat from the same draw, clocking 29.93 and Hurst said later the greyhound had previously trialled 29.86 at Wentworth Park.
"She is better suited from inside but is a good beginner," Hurst said.
"Through drawing wide boxes has become smart enough to not try and cross to the rails until she has got clear of her rivals."
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Good Odds Angel (Race 7)
Best Value: Prescribe (Race 9)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 7, 3
Race 6 - 8, 3, 5
Race 7 - 7, 2, 3
Race 8 - 5, 2, 3
$20 for 37.03%
Prices correct at time of writing.
