Ada Mary is a good railer but her trainer Sharon Grey believes the fastest qualifier is ideally drawn in box eight in Saturday night's Group 3 Sydney Cup (720m) decider at Wentworth Park.
The daughter of High Earner and Silver Shiraz extended her career record to 14 wins and eight minor placings from 42 starts with her victory in last week's heats.
She has box eight here, from which she has scored two wins and two minor placings from seven previous starts so far and Grey believes her greyhound can be a factor here.
"She is more comfortable from the extreme outside draw, no doubt about it,'' Grey said.
In last week's heats, Ada Mary led throughout to win in 42.43 while Wild Fire and Dublin Bull dead-heated in 42.54 in the other run-off.
If Ada Mary can win on Saturday night she will become the first NSW-trained stayer to land the time honoured Cup since the Eric Castle-trained Key To Eden scored in 2011.
Local greyhounds hold a strong hand this year as team Gatt is equally up-beat about the prospects of Wild Fire, who has drawn box two.
"This looks like a terrific draw for our dog," Daniel Gatt, whose brother Mark trains Wild Fire, said.
"All the early pace in the race is on the outside, with Dublin Bull in box seven and Ada Mary in eight.
"They are the likely leaders but Laugh With Mary, who has box six, can also show good early zip so there could be some jostling for the early lead.
"If that happens the race should be run to suit Wild Fire.
"He pulled up well after his heat and all he has had this week are a couple of free gallops up our straight track. He is fit enough and he doesn't need anything extra.''
Leading western districts trainer Dennis Barnes has three starters here, including Nangar Flame in box one in the Ladbrokes Final (race six).
Nangar Flame bungled the start when beaten in a photo finish by Fawn Express in his heat but goes from box six last week to box one in the final.
"Although he was beaten in 30.09 in his heat, Nangar Flame trialled 29.78 at Wentworth Park when he was a maiden puppy,'' Barnes said.
"I expect him to go well now that he has finally drawn an inside box.
"He has been settling down well in the boxes but then somehow finding a way to miss the jump.
"Hopefully box one will help him step away better.''
Barnes also has Nangar Flash, unbeaten in two Wentworth Park starts, in box five in the Old Shore Boys Stakes and Fancy Nangar in box four in the Ladbrokes VP $99PP Stakes.
"Nangar Flash is going as well as ever but Fancy Nangar probably has the job ahead because she has never seen Wentworth Park,'' Barnes said.
Blue Squirrel has not raced for more than three months but is fit enough to win first up in the Ladbrokes VP Heats Stakes.
The greyhound has box one and should get a clear run early as favourite Sawadee (box two) raced very wide in her all-the-way win here on September 30.
"Blue Squirrel has been sidelined with an injured metacarpal but has had two trials, one over 535m at Richmond and one over 520m at Wentworth Park,'' trainer Elizabeth Bont said.
"He loves box one and will be fine as long as no other dog cuts across in front of him at the first turn.''
Sawadee's trainer Peter SIMPSON warns though that his greyhound may not race so wide on Saturday night.
"I couldn't believe how wide she got when she won at her only Wentworth Park start and I think that was due to the fact Sawadee had never previously seen the track,'' SIMPSON said.
Top grade clash of the night comes in the wentworthpark.com.au Free For All where Bessy Boo (box seven) takes on the ideally drawn Chica Destacada in box eight.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Nangar Flame (Race 6)
Best Value: Ada Mary (Race 8)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 4, 8, 5
Race 6 - 1, 2, 4
Race 7 - 8, 7
Race 8 - 8, 2, 5
$20 for 37.03%
