No Donuts followed on from his win in the Sale Cup with a tenacious all-the-way win in a heat of Saturday night's Group 2 Summer Distance Plate at Wentworth Park.
Making his 720m debut, No Donuts just lasted to hold out the fast finishing Ryno's Raider to score by a head in 42.42, with the consistent Whittaker a neck away third.
No Donuts (pictured, winning a heat of the Vic Peters last year) was having his first start for trainer Anthony Azzopardi.
"I was not sure whether the dog would run 720m so to win first up over the trip was a good effort," he said.
Ryno's Raider, trained by Victorian-based Irishman Tom O'Donovan, came from last to be runner-up at No Donuts and could start favourite for the final.
"I didn't bring him to Wentworth Park to trial so I was delighted with his performance considering he had not seen the track," O'Donovan said later.
Ryno's Raider was last to leave the boxes in his heat and has drawn well in box two in the final, with No Donuts getting box seven.
No Donuts is also suitably positioned but Sky Book, who won the second heat in 42.75 for trainer Kristy Sultana, fared poorly in the draw, coming up with box eight.
Sky Book was slowly away in her heat and came from fourth on the back straight to run down pacemakers Wild Fire and Smooth Number.
Best roughie in the Plate final could be Porrentruy, who was a fast finishing fourth from box four in No Donuts' heat and has drawn the rails in the final.
Luke Adams, who handled Porrentruy for his trainer father Gary, was hoping for box one.
Box draw for the Group 2 Summer Distance Plate on Saturday night is: 1. Porrentruy 2. Ryno's Raider 3. Whittaker 4. Smooth Number 5. Phantom Reign 6. Wild Fire 7. No Donuts 8. Sky Book. Reserves: 9. Are Jip 10. Zipping Maggie.
