This evening's Group 3 John Stollery Memorial Christmas Gift at Wentworth Park has been thrown wide open with the scratching of La Grand Logie due to injury.
The scratching of Jeff Eaton's greyhound means Magic Maiden winner Black Bear Lee gains a start and will jump from the suitable draw of box two.
Black Bear Lee could only manage third in his heat of the Christmas Gift last week, but is right in contention for tonight's final with the inside draw and the moderate early speed in the race.
Leeroy Roller, meanwhile, has drawn box eight in the Gift final and while he won his heat in impressive style from box seven connections were hoping for an outside draw this week.
Sydney trainer Ray Webster, handling the dog on behalf of his Queensland trainer Jeff Crawford, said: "We wanted box one or two in a hot field like this.
"Leeroy Roller will run straight from the boxes to the first corner so he has a chance, but he is going to have to do every thing right to get around some of his fast rivals.''
While he will need to begin cleanly if he is to clear Let It Develop in the charge to the first turn, Knight Sprite is not badly positioned in box five.
"He will definitely be a better dog this week than he was in his heat,'' trainer Gayle Masterson said.
"Knight Sprite was a bit fresh last week because he had not raced for a month and he got very excited when I put him in the boxes.
"He began okay but not as quickly as he can and I believe he will settle down better this Saturday.''
Although Morgan Brothers, the slowest heat winner, has box one, trainer Keith Selten said he would have preferred box two.
"Morgan Brothers seems to begin better when he is in the second line of greyhounds placed in the boxes,'' Selten said.
In other Wentworth Park Saturday action, Father Skeeta, who turned four last month, is far and away the oldest dog in the Stollery Family Appreciation Stakes but looks poised to score his sixth Wentworth Park win.
Father Skeeta has box one and has been successful in five of his nine races wearing the red rug.
"He is going as well as ever,'' trainer Les Dennis said.
"After jarring his wrist in a trial on a hard track he is back to his best and I expect him to win.''
Dennis also has dour stayer Rexy Skeeta up against Julie Fletcher's classy Whittaker in heat one of the 720m AAA Radiator Specialists Stakes.
"Whittaker will win if he can run 720 metres but if he can't then Rexy Skeeta, who is very slow early but capable of running 1000 metres, will catch him,'' Dennis said.
Viroutte will be on trial for a start in the Group 2 Woy Woy Poultry Gold Cup heats at Gosford on December 27 when she contests Saturday night's Ladbrokes Bet Better Stakes.
Early in her career Virouette struggled to run a solid 520m but has acquired stamina and after winning two successive Wentworth Park events ran the race of her life to finish third to Knight Sprite in a heat of the top grade Christmas Gift last week.
Virouette drops back to fourth grade on Saturday night and looks sure to lead.
"If she doesn't lead she can't win,'' trainer Ron Lambert conceded.
"But she'll be hard to run down if she is in front at the half-way mark because she gets to the line more strongly when she is on the bunny.
"After Saturday night I intend trialling her at Gosford and those runs will determine whether she is good enough to tackle the Woy Woy Poultry Gold Cup.''
Magic Spring, who won a heat of the Ballarat Cup on November 25, returns to Wentworth Park in the Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder 9/1 Stakes.
Magic Spring, who has box eight, has won four of his five starts from the two outside draws.
"He should get a clear run from out there,'' trainer Noelene Holloway said.
"Magic Spring was a bit sore after travelling to Victoria for his Ballarat Cup campaign so I have not given him a run this week.
"He is nice and fresh for this.''
Group 3 John Stollery Memorial Christmas Gift box draw (Sportsbet prices in brackets): 1. Morgan Brothers ($26) 2. La Grand Logie ($3) 3. Let It Develop ($3.50) 4. Are Jip ($9) 5. Knight Sprite ($4.60) 6. Myrniong Plow ($21) 7. Stench of Power ($51); 8. Leeroy Roller ($8). 1R: Black Bear Lee ($3.50), 2R: Virouette ($34).
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Virouette (Race 9)
Best Value: Father Skeeta (Race 3)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 1, 3, 6
Race 6 - 8, 6, 1
Race 7 - 8, 1, 2
Race 8 - 5, 9
$20 for 37.03%
