NSW star Fantastic Skye looks poised to be the first greyhound to qualify for the National Futurity (520m) at Saturday's terrific Wentworth Park meeting.
Last month's Group 2 Laurels Classic winner (pictured) has drawn box one in heat one, the opening event on Saturday night's all 10-race card
The meeting will feature five heats each of the Futurity, the age classic for female greyhounds, and the Derby, for similarly aged dogs.
Fantastic Skye has not raced since January 2 but trainer Jason Fletcher reports she is trialling brilliantly.
"I gave her a post to post hit-out at Dapto on Monday and she clocked 24.05, which is absolutely flying,'' Fletcher said.
"That time is the equivalent of running around 29.50sec in a race at Dapto so Fantastic Skye certainly gets her chance from her perfect draw.''
Fletcher also has Fantastic Skye's sisters Fantastic Dotty in box five in heat three of the Futurity and Fantastic Roxy in box six in heat five of the event.
"Obviously there are not as well drawn as their sister but they are both trialling as well, if not better, than how they have ever gone,'' Fletcher said.
Fantastic Dotty looks hard to beat despite her draw because she had no luck when fourth from box two, as a $1.50 favourite, at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
The greyhound in box one veered sharply to the right at the start, colliding heavily with Fantastic Dotty and ruining her prospects.
But Fantastic Dotty broke the Dapto 520m record at each of her first two race starts so is all class.
While Fantastic Skye looks Saturday night's safest bet, the best value wager should be Mitcharlie Mia, who has box six in heat two of the Futurity.
Mitcharlie Mia has won 12 of 25 provincial starts and finished a great second at her only Wentworth Park assignment on November 25.
"When she raced at Wenty in November Mitcharlie Mia had never been tried previously over 520 metres so her run was good,'' trainer Mitch Northfield said. "Box six should not worry her on Saturday night because she will run straight from the boxes to the first corner.
"At her last start Mitcharlie Mia won over 520m at Lismore on January 12 but I have since trialled her at Casino and she went well, clocking 23.36."
Boom sprinter Tripum">Tripum, who has had eight starts for five wins and three placings, adds Queensland flavour to the National Derby series and will start from box seven in heat four.
Trainer Darren Russell is not concerned about the draw but believes Tripum will need to do everything right to win.
"It is a particularly strong Derby line-up, but Tripum is a good beginner," Russell said. "He trialled well for me at Wentworth Park recently.
"I sent him around on a race night and while he only recorded 30.15 the track must have been on the slow side because the Vic Peters Classic winner Zambora Brockie clocked 29.80 at the same meeting and he is a 29.50 dog on a quick surface.''
Tripum's toughest rival should be the ideally drawn Sleek Master (box one) whose trainer David Murray has set for the Derby.
Murray bypassed last week's Paws Of Thunder series to save his youngster for the age classic.
Probably strongest of the Derby run-offs is heat two where France Soir will start favourite from the rails box.
Leading Victorian trainer Kel Greenough will be represented in this by Maury Spirit, who has box five and has won 10 of 18 starts.
"Maury Spirit is a fair beginner with a bit of early pace,'' Greenough said. "I gave him a box to box trial at Wentworth Park on Tuesday and he went okay, without setting the world on fire.
"Box five should be all right for him because I've noticed that box has a good record at Wentworth Park, most dogs seem to jump better from there than they do from box one.''
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Fantastic Skye (Race 1)
Best Value: Mitcharlie Mia (Race 3)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 5, 8, 1
Race 6 - 3, 2
Race 7 - 3, 1, 5
Race 8 - 1, 5, 4
$20 for 37.03%
