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Fastest heat winner More In Store and Zipping Maggie are expected to vie for the honour of ending a drought for NSW stayers in tonight's Group 3 Chairman's Cup (720m) decider at Wentworth Park.
More In Store powered home to win her heat in 42.03, defeating Zipping Maggie by three lengths.
Victoria's Mepunga Tiara led all the way to win the other heat in 42.24 - the equivalent of More than three lengths' slower time.
Since 2008 the only NSW greyhound to win the Cup has been Your Signature in 2010, with Tasmania's Chinatown Lad scoring in 2008, Victoria's Amity Bale a year later, and from 2011 victory going to Shimaguni (Vic), Know Peace (NZ), Proven Impala (Vic) and last year, Zipping Maggie.
But while Zipping Maggie has always been owned in NSW by Marty and Fiona Hallinan, she was trained in Victoria by Peter Dapiran when she established the Cup race record of 41.78 in 2014.
Zipping Maggie, who was run down by More In Store in her heat, is now trained by Marty Hallinan and he rates More In Store the greyhound to beat on Saturday night.
Similarly, More In Store's trainer Mark Gatt considers Zipping Maggie his greyhound’s toughest opponent.
“Zipping Maggie is likely to be improved by her heat run because she was having her first long-distance race in a month,” Gatt said.
“And she will run straight from box one so has a good draw. At the same time I don't think More In Store's box four is too bad as Smooth Number and Entreaty, who have drawn two and three, go left at the start, like we do, so my bitch might get a clear run.
“More In Store has to find the fence but if she does she will be hard to toss because she pulled up really well after her heat win.”
Although Zipping Maggie has a reputation as being better suited drawn wide, Hallinan wanted box one for her in the final.
“She has to lead to win and she needed the inside to be reasonably sure of making the pace,” Hallinan said.
“I think Zipping Maggie will get to the line More strongly in the final than she did last week but More In Store is still going to be tough to hold out.”
Jeff Britton, trainer of Mepunga Tiara, said being able to adopt the role of pacemaker in her heat had suited his greyhound.
“Mepunga Tiara is not good enough to travel interstate with and taken on greyhounds like Space Star, Sweet it Is and Lady Toy, but she is handy and if she can get to the front in the final she will give a big sight,” Britton said.
Britton will also bring the well performed pair West On Delly (box four, Rapidvite Stakes) and Changing Lights (box seven, Book Christmas Now Packages Stakes) to Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Changing Lights, trained by Britton's partner Angela Langton, has won four of 15 starts and was an unlucky fifth when favourite at Geelong on Tuesday.
West On Delly is a winner of 11 from 42 appearances.
“She has not been beginning in Melbourne so I thought I'd give her a change of scenery,” Britton said. “She can be a bit tardy out of the boxes but she has pace when she hits the ground.
“Changing Lights had a setback with a broken tail but has good early speed and is not badly boxed out wide in seven.”
Saturday night's best bet should be Tiger's Hero, who has box one in the Bob Payne Next Saturday Stakes.
Tiger's Hero was a desperately unlucky fifth in a Canberra Cup heat last Sunday and before that was about to score an easy win at Wentworth Park when the squeaker box fell off the lure half-way down the straight.
Tiger's Hero naturally baulked at the apparatus whizzing through the air in front of him and the stewards declared the event no race.
The Frank Hurst-trained greyhound had won at his only previous Wentworth Park outing so from his ideal draw on Saturday night should take his tally at the track to two from two.
Bertacious Bee has won four of his eight starts from boxes seven and eight and a return to near the outside of the track should put this wide runner back in the winner's circle in the ladbrokes.com.au Stakes.
Bertacious Bee, who has box seven, bungled the start and was hampered at the first turn before beating all but Ritza Rossi at his most recent Wentworth Park starts in 30.01 on August 12.
Ritza Rossi had box one in that race and moves to box six on Saturday while Bertacious Bee has a near perfect draw.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Tiger's Hero (Race 7)
Best Value: Bertacious Bee (Race 6)
Quaddie; Race 5 - 1, 5, 6
Race 6 - 7, 6, 3
Race 7 - 1, 2
Race 8 - 4, 1, 5
$20 for 37.03%
